Let's face it. Most actors and actresses are pretty shallow. They are shallow in the behavior, their intellect and their political thinking. This crowd makes one nostalgic for the old studio days when actors were expected to shut up and act while the studios made the effort to make sure that the actor did not make himself look like a complete boob.
Gwyneth Paltrow makes a movie in which she plays the character of a country-western singer and all of a sudden she IS a country-western singer. Sally Fields and Meryl Streep play farmers' wives in movies and all of a sudden they are experts on farming. Alec Baldwin plays the Shadow and then IS the Shadow, and thus is an expert on politics.
Most actors, at least in their public pronouncements, are liberal. They may take that position because they are looking at the studio hands that feed them, but the writer suspects that the reason is because they do not think, They react. And because they have celebrity they think that their opinions have more weight than those who are not celebrities while, in fact, their opinions are as weightless as goose down.
One actor, and perhaps the greatest actor of our time, who is a thinker and who does not consider his opinions as a leader of the populace, is Robert Duvall. He has culturally and politically gone against the grain of Hollywood. An example would be Duvall's film The Apostle. Instead of taking cheap shots at Christian evangelists who sin and dwelling on the "hypocrisy" of the men, he portrayed man who fell and then found Grace. The same holds true for his film Tender Mercies.
Duvall is not only the best actor in the trade, but is probably the best man in the trade.
Read this for a better assessment than provided by this writer:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Robert Duvall: American Through and Through
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Social Networking
If you are into social networking and are an adherent of Facebook, this writer would suggest that you quit being part of that juggernaut.
We are all part of a machine, but there's no reason to be part of an overbearing and all too snoopy machine.
This writer would suggest that the reader, if he or she, is addicted to social networking, dump Facebook and move to a smaller social networking provider such as Bebo.com. Why leave your fate to Facebook when you, on a smaller social network provider, can decide what and where your information goes?
We are all part of a machine, but there's no reason to be part of an overbearing and all too snoopy machine.
This writer would suggest that the reader, if he or she, is addicted to social networking, dump Facebook and move to a smaller social networking provider such as Bebo.com. Why leave your fate to Facebook when you, on a smaller social network provider, can decide what and where your information goes?
A Few Comments , But Mostly Links
The grandfather of your faithful correspondent, Sir Bill of Talaqhua, while not condemning moving pictures, was never a fan of actors. To put it short, his opinion of actors and actresses was summarized in the phrase, "They're whores." And this writer's father, the First Lord Nib, while not holding to quite the same opinion of actors and actresses, thought that they were "silly people."
This writer adheres to the opinion that actors are silly people who are paid a lot of money to do the same things that children do for free i.e., pretend that they are what they are not. And that they think that they, because of their fame are, therefore, Solons that we among the hoi polloi should pay attention to in their lives and opinions. Well, let's face it, most actors and actresses are pretty much dopes. They make their livings verbally reading the words of other people. It has long been a axiom among the opera crowd that opera singers are not especially endowed with the smarts. They sing well, but they are, usually, rather stupid.
Liam Neeson has proven that the opinion of the First Lord Nib and this Lord Nib are more true than the entertainment industry would like to be revealed.
Liam Neeson angers Narnia fans by suggesting Aslan is Mohammed - Telegraph
Mr. Neeson, while a pretty good actor and a man who at one time aspired to become a Roman Catholic priest, has shown himself to be a victim of politically correct thinking instead of good thinking. Apparently he did not aspire to be a hard Jesuit instead of a lazy parish pulpit filler.
The Copts in Egypt are still getting the sharp end of the stick:
Ennahar Online - Egypt: Copts fear the rise of Islam promoted by the State
And then there is this. A Christian woman face hanging for being a Christian woman:
Cleric offers reward to kill Christian woman - World news - South and Central Asia - Pakistan - msnbc.com
And this:
Somali Teenage Girl Shot to Death for Embracing Christ | Christianpost.com
This writer adheres to the opinion that actors are silly people who are paid a lot of money to do the same things that children do for free i.e., pretend that they are what they are not. And that they think that they, because of their fame are, therefore, Solons that we among the hoi polloi should pay attention to in their lives and opinions. Well, let's face it, most actors and actresses are pretty much dopes. They make their livings verbally reading the words of other people. It has long been a axiom among the opera crowd that opera singers are not especially endowed with the smarts. They sing well, but they are, usually, rather stupid.
Liam Neeson has proven that the opinion of the First Lord Nib and this Lord Nib are more true than the entertainment industry would like to be revealed.
Liam Neeson angers Narnia fans by suggesting Aslan is Mohammed - Telegraph
Mr. Neeson, while a pretty good actor and a man who at one time aspired to become a Roman Catholic priest, has shown himself to be a victim of politically correct thinking instead of good thinking. Apparently he did not aspire to be a hard Jesuit instead of a lazy parish pulpit filler.
The Copts in Egypt are still getting the sharp end of the stick:
Ennahar Online - Egypt: Copts fear the rise of Islam promoted by the State
And then there is this. A Christian woman face hanging for being a Christian woman:
Cleric offers reward to kill Christian woman - World news - South and Central Asia - Pakistan - msnbc.com
And this:
Somali Teenage Girl Shot to Death for Embracing Christ | Christianpost.com
Sunday, November 28, 2010
When You Forget, You're Lost
For close to four hundred years the King James Bible was the default Bible for English-speaking Christians. It was part of the culture and part of the language. The KJV acted as a glue that helped to maintain the Anglosphere.
But about one hundred years ago the undermining of the influence of the KJV began with the introduction of the Revised Version, the Revised standard version, the Living Translation, et al. The excuse for the translations has always been "more accurate, more readable" . The real reason is, "more profitable". All the new translation garner royalties for the translation organizations, while the KJV does not.
Those who downgrade the intelligence of the average Christian have pushed the new translations to the point that here, in Southern California, the average evangelical is using the New International Version and has no knowledge of the KJV.
It is a sad thing to see the KJV shunted aside by those who want to be more "modern" or more "relevant".
The price of this foolishness is now being paid:
Most under-35s have not heard of the King James Bible | News | The Christian Institute
Elizabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff recently made a speech that is of interest. There are two things, for Christian-Americans that are of special interest. The first is that she, at one time, thought that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would protect her right to speak freely. The second is that she states that Europe needs and American First Amendment, especially the right to Free Speech. What is interesting about this is that the United States Bill of Rights posits that the rights of the individual are given by God, not the government. And the government has no right to deprive the citizen of those rights. Ms. Sabaditsch-Wolff is a secularist, and yet she wants rights that are considered in the US as God-given rights:
ELISABETH SABADITSCH-WOLFF: WE ARE BEING SYSTEMATICALLY SILENCED, THIS IS OUR TIME
Our purported allies, the Pakistanis, continue with the persecution of Christians. Why are we at the Manor not surprised?
AFP: Pakistan Muslims warn of anarchy over Christian
And then there's this:
Muslim Genocide of Christians Throughout Middle East :: Hudson New York
Isn't Islam fun?
But about one hundred years ago the undermining of the influence of the KJV began with the introduction of the Revised Version, the Revised standard version, the Living Translation, et al. The excuse for the translations has always been "more accurate, more readable" . The real reason is, "more profitable". All the new translation garner royalties for the translation organizations, while the KJV does not.
Those who downgrade the intelligence of the average Christian have pushed the new translations to the point that here, in Southern California, the average evangelical is using the New International Version and has no knowledge of the KJV.
It is a sad thing to see the KJV shunted aside by those who want to be more "modern" or more "relevant".
The price of this foolishness is now being paid:
Most under-35s have not heard of the King James Bible | News | The Christian Institute
Elizabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff recently made a speech that is of interest. There are two things, for Christian-Americans that are of special interest. The first is that she, at one time, thought that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would protect her right to speak freely. The second is that she states that Europe needs and American First Amendment, especially the right to Free Speech. What is interesting about this is that the United States Bill of Rights posits that the rights of the individual are given by God, not the government. And the government has no right to deprive the citizen of those rights. Ms. Sabaditsch-Wolff is a secularist, and yet she wants rights that are considered in the US as God-given rights:
ELISABETH SABADITSCH-WOLFF: WE ARE BEING SYSTEMATICALLY SILENCED, THIS IS OUR TIME
Our purported allies, the Pakistanis, continue with the persecution of Christians. Why are we at the Manor not surprised?
AFP: Pakistan Muslims warn of anarchy over Christian
And then there's this:
Muslim Genocide of Christians Throughout Middle East :: Hudson New York
Isn't Islam fun?
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Elizabeth the Great
It's a pretty sad thing when an Austrian is more will to take a stand against encroaching Islam than is the average English of American politician:
Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff Versus the State of Denial
This hymn has often, until recently, been considered the second English national anthem. Now it has been banned from Church of England churches due to political correctness:
YouTube - Jerusalem - The Hymn
It's enough to bring a grown man to tears.
And, finally, the Navy still has it's Navy Hymn that is sung in spite of the pressures of the Orcs:
YouTube - Christian Hymns - Eternal Father, Strong to Save - Christian Navy Hymn with lyrics
Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff Versus the State of Denial
This hymn has often, until recently, been considered the second English national anthem. Now it has been banned from Church of England churches due to political correctness:
YouTube - Jerusalem - The Hymn
It's enough to bring a grown man to tears.
And, finally, the Navy still has it's Navy Hymn that is sung in spite of the pressures of the Orcs:
YouTube - Christian Hymns - Eternal Father, Strong to Save - Christian Navy Hymn with lyrics
Sunday, November 07, 2010
The Ghey
Many years ago when this writer was a young man there began the modern movement for the tolerance of the homosexual lifestyle and behaviors. Some wag, who's name has been forgotten by yours truly, stated, "Homosexuals are now demanding tolerance from the society at large. Next they will demand acceptance, And after that they will demand that the practice be made mandatory." As usual, the media mocked the man's statement without thinking about what the man said.
Today we see that the man's statement was more true than not. We find ourselves in a day when homosexual behavior is not only tolerated by many in the society at large, but is accepted. Openly homosexual men and women are a regular part of the media. In fact, they are often fawned over. They are considered "cute" and forward looking. And it should be noted that the nouns used for homosexuals has changed. For many centuries the term used was Sodomite for male homosexuals and Lesbian for female homosexuals. In modern times, meaning from the early 20th century, the slang terms used by the public in general were "queer" and "dyke" among other more descriptive terms. In the 60s the term "gay" came upon the scene and was the term insisted upon by homosexual men and women. And is very recent times we have been subjected to the initials LGBT (meaning Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender) to describe those who prefer the sexual comforts of persons of their own sex.
Before continuing, let it be known that your faithful correspondent is of the opinion that a "bi-sexual" is a homosexual who will harbor in any port in a storm, and that there is no such thing as a transgendered person. A person cannot change his or her sex. They can only undergo cosmetic surgery to make themselves look like the sex that they aren't.
Having re-defined themselves from queer or Sodomite to gay, the homosexual community is starting on its campaign to make homosexuality mandatory.. By this, the writer means classes in schools teaching children that homosexuality is normal and just great. Do not be surprised when the day comes that your precious snowflake comes home from school and tells you that one of the activities he engaged in that day was kissing another boy, or if your child is a girl, kissing another girl.
But before that day we find that day comes (in the very near future) there is a campaign afoot by the media and the homosexual lobby, to banish the word "gay" as an insult. Young people often use the word "gay" as a synonym for "weird", "lame" or "queer". To do something that a young person describes as "so gay" means that one has done something stupid or unmanly or silly. There have been television commercials in which the unfunny comedian Wanda Sykes urges the viewer not to use the word "gay" as an insult. Several performers have been denigrated for using the word "gay" as an insult i.e., "electric cars are gay".
What we have here is a minority dictating the attitudes and vocabulary of the majority in the name of "tolerance".
Part of the homosexual argument has been based on the idea that homosexuality is a biological condition and not a choice. This writer is old enough to recall a time when vocal homosexuals stated, proudly, that they chose to be homosexual. They chose to consummate the physical act of love with another person of the same sex. They often said that they were sexual deviants and the gloried in their deviance in the same way that sado-masochists glory in their deviance.
Now homosexuals claim that they are born homosexual and that gives them permission to behave badly and that the society at large should celebrate that bad behavior. But the problem with that argument is that alcoholism has been, by some researchers, identified with a genetic defect and society does not suffer alcoholism gladly. For some reason a "genetic" alcoholic is given less truck than a "genetic" homosexual. The alky is considered a danger to society while a homo is to be considered just fabulous despite the fact that homosexuals, in their public prancing and preening, often, by their actions, promote the lessening of monogamy and the family and the practice of reticence and virtue in the society.
Recently there have been several suicides of homosexual youth who have been "outed" against their will who have committed suicide, and the homosexual lobby has pointed to these incidents as examples of the cost of society's (rather weak) disapproval of homosexuality. What they have not mentioned is that the incidents of teenagers who have had sex before marriage is much higher than that of teenagers who have remained virgins before marriage. But few people complain about Miley Cyrus pretending to be a lipstick lesbian in a music video or Vogue magazine portraying young teenage girls as sexual objects.
Here's the deal. There is a right and there is a wrong. Pre-marital sex is wrong. Adultery is wrong. Homosexuality is wrong. And trying to redefine a bad behavior by using a new word is putting lipstick on a pig. Drunk enough you might give the pig a big old kiss, but once you sober up you'll be asking yourself, "What in the hell did I do?"
Sober up and don't be subject to the wills of pigs.
Today we see that the man's statement was more true than not. We find ourselves in a day when homosexual behavior is not only tolerated by many in the society at large, but is accepted. Openly homosexual men and women are a regular part of the media. In fact, they are often fawned over. They are considered "cute" and forward looking. And it should be noted that the nouns used for homosexuals has changed. For many centuries the term used was Sodomite for male homosexuals and Lesbian for female homosexuals. In modern times, meaning from the early 20th century, the slang terms used by the public in general were "queer" and "dyke" among other more descriptive terms. In the 60s the term "gay" came upon the scene and was the term insisted upon by homosexual men and women. And is very recent times we have been subjected to the initials LGBT (meaning Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender) to describe those who prefer the sexual comforts of persons of their own sex.
Before continuing, let it be known that your faithful correspondent is of the opinion that a "bi-sexual" is a homosexual who will harbor in any port in a storm, and that there is no such thing as a transgendered person. A person cannot change his or her sex. They can only undergo cosmetic surgery to make themselves look like the sex that they aren't.
Having re-defined themselves from queer or Sodomite to gay, the homosexual community is starting on its campaign to make homosexuality mandatory.. By this, the writer means classes in schools teaching children that homosexuality is normal and just great. Do not be surprised when the day comes that your precious snowflake comes home from school and tells you that one of the activities he engaged in that day was kissing another boy, or if your child is a girl, kissing another girl.
But before that day we find that day comes (in the very near future) there is a campaign afoot by the media and the homosexual lobby, to banish the word "gay" as an insult. Young people often use the word "gay" as a synonym for "weird", "lame" or "queer". To do something that a young person describes as "so gay" means that one has done something stupid or unmanly or silly. There have been television commercials in which the unfunny comedian Wanda Sykes urges the viewer not to use the word "gay" as an insult. Several performers have been denigrated for using the word "gay" as an insult i.e., "electric cars are gay".
What we have here is a minority dictating the attitudes and vocabulary of the majority in the name of "tolerance".
Part of the homosexual argument has been based on the idea that homosexuality is a biological condition and not a choice. This writer is old enough to recall a time when vocal homosexuals stated, proudly, that they chose to be homosexual. They chose to consummate the physical act of love with another person of the same sex. They often said that they were sexual deviants and the gloried in their deviance in the same way that sado-masochists glory in their deviance.
Now homosexuals claim that they are born homosexual and that gives them permission to behave badly and that the society at large should celebrate that bad behavior. But the problem with that argument is that alcoholism has been, by some researchers, identified with a genetic defect and society does not suffer alcoholism gladly. For some reason a "genetic" alcoholic is given less truck than a "genetic" homosexual. The alky is considered a danger to society while a homo is to be considered just fabulous despite the fact that homosexuals, in their public prancing and preening, often, by their actions, promote the lessening of monogamy and the family and the practice of reticence and virtue in the society.
Recently there have been several suicides of homosexual youth who have been "outed" against their will who have committed suicide, and the homosexual lobby has pointed to these incidents as examples of the cost of society's (rather weak) disapproval of homosexuality. What they have not mentioned is that the incidents of teenagers who have had sex before marriage is much higher than that of teenagers who have remained virgins before marriage. But few people complain about Miley Cyrus pretending to be a lipstick lesbian in a music video or Vogue magazine portraying young teenage girls as sexual objects.
Here's the deal. There is a right and there is a wrong. Pre-marital sex is wrong. Adultery is wrong. Homosexuality is wrong. And trying to redefine a bad behavior by using a new word is putting lipstick on a pig. Drunk enough you might give the pig a big old kiss, but once you sober up you'll be asking yourself, "What in the hell did I do?"
Sober up and don't be subject to the wills of pigs.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Consider This
The great Mark Steyn has come out in support of Elizabeth of Austria;
Gates of Vienna: Mark Steyn Joins Elisabeth’s Voice
And if you don't know who Elizabeth of Austria is, check this out:
http://english.savefreespeech.org/
Free speech against the Orc tidal wave/kindness offensive is in danger in Europe and in America while slams against Christians and Jews are accepted.
To repeat something that this writer has often said, "You may not be interested in Islam, but Islam is interested in you." And to paraphrase the great Puritan theologian John Owen, "Always be fighting Islam because Islam is always fighting against you."
Gates of Vienna: Mark Steyn Joins Elisabeth’s Voice
And if you don't know who Elizabeth of Austria is, check this out:
http://english.savefreespeech.org/
Free speech against the Orc tidal wave/kindness offensive is in danger in Europe and in America while slams against Christians and Jews are accepted.
To repeat something that this writer has often said, "You may not be interested in Islam, but Islam is interested in you." And to paraphrase the great Puritan theologian John Owen, "Always be fighting Islam because Islam is always fighting against you."
IMperial President?
Apparently, this is what is takes to get The One to India:
Forty aircraft and six armoured cars: Obama visit to India the 'biggest ever by a US President' | Mail Online
Forty aircraft and six armoured cars: Obama visit to India the 'biggest ever by a US President' | Mail Online
Men in Hats
Your faithful correspondent is of such an age when it was the norm for newly elected presidents of this great nation to be inaugurated into their office while wearing a top hat. The last man to honor the populace by wearing proper attire was John Kennedy. After that time standards fell and presidents decided to pretend to be "regular guys" by not wearing proper head attire and business suits instead of formal suits. In doing so they probably thought that they were making a statement that the identified with the "man in the street." What they were really doing was insulting the American citizen by showing that they did not think enough of the office that they were assuming to dress in a formal and proper manner. And in presenting themselves in such a manner they cheapened the image of the office. Would the reader have as much respect for Elizabeth ll if she showed up for a soiree wearing a muumuu and flip-flops? Respect goes two ways. And those in power seem to have forgotten that they should show us respect by dressing and comporting themselves properly.
But to get to the point.
This edition of Men in Hats concerns the top hat; sometimes called the topper.
The top hat, while nowadays considered a very formal hat, was, historically, not so formal. Consider Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist, the Victorian coachman wearing the coachman's version of the hat, the Mad Hatter, the Ton riding to the fox while wearing top hats.
The traditional top hat comes in various forms -- the silk hat, the collapsible silk hat, the beaver hat of mid-nineteenth century America, the felt top hat and the exaggerated top hat as shown in Tenniel's illustrations in Alice in Wonderland. The cat in Disney's Pinochio wore a collapsed topper.
During the time of the topper's popularity the hat was not so much known as a rich man's hat as it was as a town or city man's hat. As a practical hat shading the face or warming the hat it's not much use. But, when worn with a certain panache, whether the wearer is rich or poor, it looks cool. And it makes short men look taller.
Sherlock Holmes, Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt and Mr. Darcy all wore top hats.
Could it be the hat for you?
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Jane Austen
As those in the know are aware, we here at the Manor are fans of the writings of Jane Austen.
The ever lovely Lady Nib prefers Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice, while this writer favors Mansfield Park.
Recently an academic egghead has come to the conclusion that Miss Austen used an editor for several of her novels. Among the pondering crowd, this "revelation" has been greeted with either huzzahs or raspberries.
We here at the Manor are of the opinion that whether or not Miss Austen used an editor is of no matter. Consider the fact that such writers as Thomas Wolfe, William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway used the editorial talents of Maxwell Perkins and have never been slammed for it. The modern scholastic egghead or college professor teaches Hemingway, Faulkner and Wolfe without ever mentioning Perkins.
Why should an editor who corrected the divine Jane's spelling and sentence structure be a scandal?
Given time, this writer has no doubt that a college professor in search of tenure will claim that he has found the editor who corrected Beowulf.
Here's the article regarding JA, for what it's worth:
Academic: Jane Austen had helping hand from editor - Yahoo! News
The ever lovely Lady Nib prefers Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice, while this writer favors Mansfield Park.
Recently an academic egghead has come to the conclusion that Miss Austen used an editor for several of her novels. Among the pondering crowd, this "revelation" has been greeted with either huzzahs or raspberries.
We here at the Manor are of the opinion that whether or not Miss Austen used an editor is of no matter. Consider the fact that such writers as Thomas Wolfe, William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway used the editorial talents of Maxwell Perkins and have never been slammed for it. The modern scholastic egghead or college professor teaches Hemingway, Faulkner and Wolfe without ever mentioning Perkins.
Why should an editor who corrected the divine Jane's spelling and sentence structure be a scandal?
Given time, this writer has no doubt that a college professor in search of tenure will claim that he has found the editor who corrected Beowulf.
Here's the article regarding JA, for what it's worth:
Academic: Jane Austen had helping hand from editor - Yahoo! News
Link-O-Rama
Here are three links worthy of the readers' attention.
Two concern the Orcs. The third concern the state of the republic.
Clash of Civilizations: Europe vs. Islam
UK jihadist: Muslims "may say one thing to you in front of CNN," but behind your backs they support jihad - Jihad Watch
» The Tea Party vs. the Ruling Class - Big Government
Two concern the Orcs. The third concern the state of the republic.
Clash of Civilizations: Europe vs. Islam
UK jihadist: Muslims "may say one thing to you in front of CNN," but behind your backs they support jihad - Jihad Watch
» The Tea Party vs. the Ruling Class - Big Government
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A Bit of Sense From Germany and Such
Angela Merkel has come to the conclusion that American politicians should have come to long ago:
Merkel says German multiculturalism has failed | Reuters
Meanwhile, Great Britain refuses to face facts about the insidious nature of the religion of the Orcs:
Islamic face-veil part of 'British way of life' - Telegraph
Even some of the French have twigged on the threat from Mecca:
French MP says UK is 'losing fight against Islamic extremists' - Telegraph
Perhaps Columbus knew more than the average US politician:
Columbus knew the dangers of the Muslim tax man « Money Jihad
The Orcs in Austria seem to have picked up the American weakness by waging Lawfare:
Lawfare in Austria: Is Truth Illegal?: Paul Revere Gets the Slammer :: Hudson New York
The 17th century Puritan writer, John Owen, wrote, "Fight sin because sin is fighting you." This writer suggests that while the reader is fighting sin he remembers to fight Islam because Islam is fighting against him.
Merkel says German multiculturalism has failed | Reuters
Meanwhile, Great Britain refuses to face facts about the insidious nature of the religion of the Orcs:
Islamic face-veil part of 'British way of life' - Telegraph
Even some of the French have twigged on the threat from Mecca:
French MP says UK is 'losing fight against Islamic extremists' - Telegraph
Perhaps Columbus knew more than the average US politician:
Columbus knew the dangers of the Muslim tax man « Money Jihad
The Orcs in Austria seem to have picked up the American weakness by waging Lawfare:
Lawfare in Austria: Is Truth Illegal?: Paul Revere Gets the Slammer :: Hudson New York
The 17th century Puritan writer, John Owen, wrote, "Fight sin because sin is fighting you." This writer suggests that while the reader is fighting sin he remembers to fight Islam because Islam is fighting against him.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Diane Lane
Those in the know are well aware that this writer has always had an eye for the ladies. This is not to say that you faithful correspondent is, or was, a rounder -- he has been ever faithful to the ever lovely Lady Nib. But he enjoys looking at attractive women in life and in the movies.
The woman in question in this post is Diane Lane and the question as to why she has become a bit of a mystery.
As a young woman Diane was a lovely woman -- one of the loveliest of her generation. There was, during her youth, few women prettier.
But as she aged she seems to have become rather blandly pretty. In fact, she seems to have become, in her looks, bland. She's gone from the femme fatale to the co-star's girlfriend in looks. And this writer has wondered why.
After several years of pondering your faithful correspondent has figured out why.
Diane Lane has, in her appearance, shown no growth of character. Her face has shown no experience. Consider Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor,Jane Russell, Charlotte Rampling or Jane Birkin. All the women mentioned showed or show lines and planes in their faces of experience. Their faces show growing character. Diane Lane's face shows no character. She's like a woman frozen in time who has aged but who has not lived life.
It's creepy.
The woman in question in this post is Diane Lane and the question as to why she has become a bit of a mystery.
As a young woman Diane was a lovely woman -- one of the loveliest of her generation. There was, during her youth, few women prettier.
But as she aged she seems to have become rather blandly pretty. In fact, she seems to have become, in her looks, bland. She's gone from the femme fatale to the co-star's girlfriend in looks. And this writer has wondered why.
After several years of pondering your faithful correspondent has figured out why.
Diane Lane has, in her appearance, shown no growth of character. Her face has shown no experience. Consider Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor,Jane Russell, Charlotte Rampling or Jane Birkin. All the women mentioned showed or show lines and planes in their faces of experience. Their faces show growing character. Diane Lane's face shows no character. She's like a woman frozen in time who has aged but who has not lived life.
It's creepy.
Sports
As those in the know are well aware, we here are at Nib Manor are not rabid sports fans (excepting Lady Nib's enthusiasm for Sumo, but the Japanese are funny).
We are casual sports fans, the favorite big league sports being baseball and and occasionally ice hockey.
But despite the fact that he have neither Angels not Ducks banners hanging outside the gate of the Manor. we are of the opinion that the seasons of professional sports in the US make no damn sense.
Baseball is a sport that should run from early spring to late summer. This year the World Series, is played all seven games, will extend to early November. The professional hockey season started a few days ago. Professional basketball will start in a week or two. And during this period professional football will be underway.
The money lusters have taken over the sports. By money lusters this writer does not mean the players. He means the team owners and the television moguls. To refer to the old saying, where money is to be made money will be made. And the owners and the leagues desire to make as much money as they can despite the natural order of things.
The natural order of sports is that baseball is played from the early spring to the early fall, hockey from late fall to early spring, basketball from mid-winter to late spring, and football during the early fall to mid-winter.
Now we have all four sports being played at the same time. And nobody gains but the team owners, the sponsors and the broadcasters.
What can we, as sports fans (even casual sports fans) do? All we can do is quit watching those sports after their natural end has come.
Quit watching!
We are casual sports fans, the favorite big league sports being baseball and and occasionally ice hockey.
But despite the fact that he have neither Angels not Ducks banners hanging outside the gate of the Manor. we are of the opinion that the seasons of professional sports in the US make no damn sense.
Baseball is a sport that should run from early spring to late summer. This year the World Series, is played all seven games, will extend to early November. The professional hockey season started a few days ago. Professional basketball will start in a week or two. And during this period professional football will be underway.
The money lusters have taken over the sports. By money lusters this writer does not mean the players. He means the team owners and the television moguls. To refer to the old saying, where money is to be made money will be made. And the owners and the leagues desire to make as much money as they can despite the natural order of things.
The natural order of sports is that baseball is played from the early spring to the early fall, hockey from late fall to early spring, basketball from mid-winter to late spring, and football during the early fall to mid-winter.
Now we have all four sports being played at the same time. And nobody gains but the team owners, the sponsors and the broadcasters.
What can we, as sports fans (even casual sports fans) do? All we can do is quit watching those sports after their natural end has come.
Quit watching!
Sunday, October 03, 2010
A Stew O' Stuff
As regular readers of this blog are aware, Bloody Nib Manor is in California. This year there is a gubernatorial election. The main contenders are Jerry Brown (who was governor for two terms back in the 1970s) and Meg Whitman.
This past week the comically publicity seeking attorney, Gloria Allred, came out with an accusation that Ms. Whitman had knowingly employed an illegal alien woman from Mexico named Nikki for nine years and had mistreated this poor benighted mija by paying her $23.00 per hour for a fifteen hour work week. Accordin to the lawyer Allred, Ms. Whitman fired Nikki when she decided to run for governor. and when Nikki asked Ms. Whitman to help her gain legal status in the U.S.
The whole thing has blown up into a farce on every front and the details on the affair are readily available on the Internet for those who are interested in following the tale.
But, be it known, that this writer, while never a Meg Whitman support of any enthusiasm, will vote for Ms. Whitman whether or not she knowingly employed a border jumper for the simple reasons that 1.) Jerry Brown was a rotten governor and would be better employed as the editor of Mother Earth News. and 2.) she has slimed by Gloria Allred in the same way that Gloria Allred slimed the present governor during his first election run (and your faithful correspondent readily admits that the Arnold has been a disappointment, but he's better than Davis would have been) and the way the Bob Mulholland slimed Bruce Herschensohn during his run for the Senate against Barbara Boxer. This writer refuses to reward bad behavior by politicians even during campaigns.
This writer remembers lawyer Allred's first showing on the public screen. She sued a drugstore for having two rows of toys. One row was labelled Boys' Toys and the other was labelled Girls' Toys. The difference was that in one row there were toy soldiers and cars and in the other there were dolls and tea sets. Lawyer Allred wanted the labelling changed to just Toys, because she thought the sex identification was sexist. After all, as everyone knows, any boy wants to look at dolls while trying to find toy soldiers and any girl wants to look at toy trucks while going to the tea sets.
And lawyer Allred won the lawsuit despite the fact that the drugstore chain was a private company. It was then that she learned that she could gain publicity by filing lawsuits that have no real basis in common sense, but can be argued by the niceties of legal interpretation.
The woman is a joke. Some people call her a publicity whore. But many of the same people, in the media, who call her that, are not loathe to have her on their televisions shows to allow her to argue her point and to get publicity themselves. An example would be The John and Ken Show on KFI in Los Angeles. J&K have spent a lot of time calling clown lawyer Allred a publicity whore, but they salivate over the idea of having her on their show.
This writer would remind the reader that for every whore there is at least one john. One has to ask one's self, in moral terms, is the whore any worse than the john? One is walking away with money received for giving up something that she does not hold dear. The other has a lighter wallet and perhaps some dread disease.
But to get to more serious matters.
This past weekend United States citizens visiting Europe were warned of possible terrorist attacks upon them by Islamic extremists.Some writers have claimed that the attacks will be modelled upon the attack in Bombay (Mumbai) perpetrated several years ago.
This article from the Telegraph in the U.K. raises some concern about Great Britain's preparation for such an act:
SAS officers warn that Britain is unprepared for a Mumbai-style attack - Telegraph
This writer is of the opinion that if such an attack were attempted in Los Angeles, for example, the attack would be much less successful if said attack were attempted in London or Liverpool for the simple reason that all policemen, and much of the citizenry are armed with firearms.
While we're talking about the U.K., this article shows that some Orcs are trying to institute Sharia Law in their businesses. Note that the woman in question is a non-religious Muslim and was being held to a standard that the employer did not hold white women to. The subtext is that white non-Muslim women are loose and sluts:
Muslim woman sacked for REFUSING to wear a headscarf | Mail Online
Some people find the actions of the schools mentioned in the following article disturbing i.e., the schools (private Islamic schools in Britain) expect their female students to dress in the approved desert Orc manner (wearing veils or hijabs). This writer has no problem with the school's dress codes for girls. The schools are private schools. The parents pay for their girls to attend the schools. The parents should be aware of the requirements of the schools. For a parent who has enrolled his or her daughter into an Islamic school to expect that his or her daughter not to be expected to conform to the most backwards elements of Islamic custom is tantamount to a Jewish parent to be upset that his or her child not to be exposed to the Roman Catholic Catechism at a Catholic school. Or a for an Evangelical Christian to be upset when their child ends up celebrating Passover while attending a Jewish day school. The problem arises when a student is attending a public school and is expected to conform to the norms of Mohammedism or Judaism. Since Great Britain has a state church it is no surprise that a child in an English state school should be given Christian instruction. But the English abandoned that requirement on teaching long ago.
British schools where girls must wear the Islamic veil - Telegraph
Here's just another example of Muslim love and tolerance from Pakistan:
Muslim Extremists Murder Christian Family in Pakistan
And finally, here's an example of a country exporting a product that they do not want returned:
FOXNews.com - U.S. Worsens Mexican Violence by Returning Criminal Aliens to Border Cities, Mayors Say
This past week the comically publicity seeking attorney, Gloria Allred, came out with an accusation that Ms. Whitman had knowingly employed an illegal alien woman from Mexico named Nikki for nine years and had mistreated this poor benighted mija by paying her $23.00 per hour for a fifteen hour work week. Accordin to the lawyer Allred, Ms. Whitman fired Nikki when she decided to run for governor. and when Nikki asked Ms. Whitman to help her gain legal status in the U.S.
The whole thing has blown up into a farce on every front and the details on the affair are readily available on the Internet for those who are interested in following the tale.
But, be it known, that this writer, while never a Meg Whitman support of any enthusiasm, will vote for Ms. Whitman whether or not she knowingly employed a border jumper for the simple reasons that 1.) Jerry Brown was a rotten governor and would be better employed as the editor of Mother Earth News. and 2.) she has slimed by Gloria Allred in the same way that Gloria Allred slimed the present governor during his first election run (and your faithful correspondent readily admits that the Arnold has been a disappointment, but he's better than Davis would have been) and the way the Bob Mulholland slimed Bruce Herschensohn during his run for the Senate against Barbara Boxer. This writer refuses to reward bad behavior by politicians even during campaigns.
This writer remembers lawyer Allred's first showing on the public screen. She sued a drugstore for having two rows of toys. One row was labelled Boys' Toys and the other was labelled Girls' Toys. The difference was that in one row there were toy soldiers and cars and in the other there were dolls and tea sets. Lawyer Allred wanted the labelling changed to just Toys, because she thought the sex identification was sexist. After all, as everyone knows, any boy wants to look at dolls while trying to find toy soldiers and any girl wants to look at toy trucks while going to the tea sets.
And lawyer Allred won the lawsuit despite the fact that the drugstore chain was a private company. It was then that she learned that she could gain publicity by filing lawsuits that have no real basis in common sense, but can be argued by the niceties of legal interpretation.
The woman is a joke. Some people call her a publicity whore. But many of the same people, in the media, who call her that, are not loathe to have her on their televisions shows to allow her to argue her point and to get publicity themselves. An example would be The John and Ken Show on KFI in Los Angeles. J&K have spent a lot of time calling clown lawyer Allred a publicity whore, but they salivate over the idea of having her on their show.
This writer would remind the reader that for every whore there is at least one john. One has to ask one's self, in moral terms, is the whore any worse than the john? One is walking away with money received for giving up something that she does not hold dear. The other has a lighter wallet and perhaps some dread disease.
But to get to more serious matters.
This past weekend United States citizens visiting Europe were warned of possible terrorist attacks upon them by Islamic extremists.Some writers have claimed that the attacks will be modelled upon the attack in Bombay (Mumbai) perpetrated several years ago.
This article from the Telegraph in the U.K. raises some concern about Great Britain's preparation for such an act:
SAS officers warn that Britain is unprepared for a Mumbai-style attack - Telegraph
This writer is of the opinion that if such an attack were attempted in Los Angeles, for example, the attack would be much less successful if said attack were attempted in London or Liverpool for the simple reason that all policemen, and much of the citizenry are armed with firearms.
While we're talking about the U.K., this article shows that some Orcs are trying to institute Sharia Law in their businesses. Note that the woman in question is a non-religious Muslim and was being held to a standard that the employer did not hold white women to. The subtext is that white non-Muslim women are loose and sluts:
Muslim woman sacked for REFUSING to wear a headscarf | Mail Online
Some people find the actions of the schools mentioned in the following article disturbing i.e., the schools (private Islamic schools in Britain) expect their female students to dress in the approved desert Orc manner (wearing veils or hijabs). This writer has no problem with the school's dress codes for girls. The schools are private schools. The parents pay for their girls to attend the schools. The parents should be aware of the requirements of the schools. For a parent who has enrolled his or her daughter into an Islamic school to expect that his or her daughter not to be expected to conform to the most backwards elements of Islamic custom is tantamount to a Jewish parent to be upset that his or her child not to be exposed to the Roman Catholic Catechism at a Catholic school. Or a for an Evangelical Christian to be upset when their child ends up celebrating Passover while attending a Jewish day school. The problem arises when a student is attending a public school and is expected to conform to the norms of Mohammedism or Judaism. Since Great Britain has a state church it is no surprise that a child in an English state school should be given Christian instruction. But the English abandoned that requirement on teaching long ago.
British schools where girls must wear the Islamic veil - Telegraph
Here's just another example of Muslim love and tolerance from Pakistan:
Muslim Extremists Murder Christian Family in Pakistan
And finally, here's an example of a country exporting a product that they do not want returned:
FOXNews.com - U.S. Worsens Mexican Violence by Returning Criminal Aliens to Border Cities, Mayors Say
Sunday, September 26, 2010
This Sounds Awfully Familiar
Those of any age may recall the days of the "Black Liberation Movement." This was back in the days when black men wearing berets were free to walk the streets of cities carrying long guns with the excuse that they were fighting against the oppression of The Man, while a white man loading his 30.06 into his pick-up truck in preparation for a deer hunting trip was descended upon by the local constabulary and regarded (as directed by the local or state officials who thought any white man with a gun was up to no good) as suspicious and. perhaps "Anti-Negro."
During that time it was not particularly unusual for a liberal white woman to hook herself up with a revolutionary Black man. Those outside the politically correct circle called it "Jungle Fever." And some of those women suffered rape from those men they intended to help and some of them suffered death. This writer asks the reader to consult David Horowitz's journey toward conservatism.
This is not to say that all black men will rape white women if given the opportunity. But it is to say that it is not unusual for men to rape (at the minimum) a woman of the race that that the "oppressed" race sees as the oppressor.
The following three links illustrate the problem that is encountered by silly women who have no idea of the characters and ethics of those they are supporting:
Gates of Vienna: Peace Through Rape
Gates of Vienna: Peace Through Rape, Part 2
Gates of Vienna: Falsely Understood Tolerance
One is reminded of the John LeCarre' novel Little Drummer Girl. Although LeCarre' may not have intended it, the novel illustrates the naivete' of the liberal woman who is a virus in the auto-immune disease that infects the West and doesn't realize it.
During that time it was not particularly unusual for a liberal white woman to hook herself up with a revolutionary Black man. Those outside the politically correct circle called it "Jungle Fever." And some of those women suffered rape from those men they intended to help and some of them suffered death. This writer asks the reader to consult David Horowitz's journey toward conservatism.
This is not to say that all black men will rape white women if given the opportunity. But it is to say that it is not unusual for men to rape (at the minimum) a woman of the race that that the "oppressed" race sees as the oppressor.
The following three links illustrate the problem that is encountered by silly women who have no idea of the characters and ethics of those they are supporting:
Gates of Vienna: Peace Through Rape
Gates of Vienna: Peace Through Rape, Part 2
Gates of Vienna: Falsely Understood Tolerance
One is reminded of the John LeCarre' novel Little Drummer Girl. Although LeCarre' may not have intended it, the novel illustrates the naivete' of the liberal woman who is a virus in the auto-immune disease that infects the West and doesn't realize it.
The Religion of Peace
If the reader depends on the national mainstream media for news about the religion of peace, the reader probably hasn't heard this story. And this story takes place in the Pacific Northwest of the United States:
‘We Wish Her the Best’? Cartoonist, Threatened by Islamists, Disappears
‘We Wish Her the Best’? Cartoonist, Threatened by Islamists, Disappears
It's Come to This
Any right thinking person knows that the United Nations has been, for at least 50 years, a pretty useless organization. It has shown itself to be nest of the politically naive or radical. In other words, became New Age before New Age was cool and politically correct before the term was invented.
Now we have this:
United Nations to appoint space ambassador to act as first contact for aliens visiting Earth | Mail Online
Now we have this:
United Nations to appoint space ambassador to act as first contact for aliens visiting Earth | Mail Online
Could It Be?
We often hear, through the mainstream media and Islamic apologists, about something called "Moderate Muslims". The only public moderate Muslims that this writer is aware of is the late Ali Khan (who was once married to Rita Hayworth and was the spiritual leader of a small Muslim sect) and the the current Miss America (a lovely young woman who seems to realize that classical Islam is a losing and soul killing proposition).
This past week another moderate Muslim has come to the fore:
Is Islam About to Collapse? Egyptian Scholar Says ‘Yes’
On another tangent, this writer would like to remind those readers who are Christian that our salvation comes not through the government. Christ did not say that our rulers are salt and light. He said that he and the church (the church triumphant) are salt and light.
Let us hope and pray that Islam collapses, or at least undergoes a true Reformation. Better yet, let us pray that Muslims see the light and realize that salvation comes through Christ; not an epileptic, pedophililiac desert mystic.
This past week another moderate Muslim has come to the fore:
Is Islam About to Collapse? Egyptian Scholar Says ‘Yes’
On another tangent, this writer would like to remind those readers who are Christian that our salvation comes not through the government. Christ did not say that our rulers are salt and light. He said that he and the church (the church triumphant) are salt and light.
Let us hope and pray that Islam collapses, or at least undergoes a true Reformation. Better yet, let us pray that Muslims see the light and realize that salvation comes through Christ; not an epileptic, pedophililiac desert mystic.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Old Days in L.A.
While your faithful correspondent was mowing the lawn here at Nib Manor it occurred to him that one of the things that has changed in Southern California the no one mentions is the watering of lawns.
Back in the day when this writer was a sprite the usual watering routine for tract houses was the laying out of a hose and a sprinkler on a lawn of Bermuda or rye grass. No working man expected his lawn to be a green verdant carpet. One watered one's lawn to keep the dormant grass from dying.
During high summer it was not unusual for the working man to lay out a hose and some sort of sprinkler on his lawn during the heat of the day and turn on the water. This usually resulted in the neighborhood kids running through the sprinkler to keep cool. In those days the householder sat on his front porch, perhaps with a friend or two and a six pack of Lucky Lager or Hamm's, and watch a rotary sprinkler water what appeared to be dry and dead grass. Those of a literary bent may recall Raymond Chandler's description of a sprinkler in high summer watering yellow grass.
In those days it was expected that grass turned yellow in the summer and that only those freaks who planted dicondra on their front lawns expected year round greenery; and even those guys were pulling the Rainbird and hose out to water the lawn.
Some years ago the grass known as tall fescue came into favor and householders invested in sprinkler systems and it became a norm that lawn were green year round and kids did not run through sprinklers (because sprinklers are usually set to fire off at about 5 in the morning.
It's just not right. It's not L.A. It's some sort of East Coast nonsense. If one cannot have kids running through one's sprinklers on a hot day what's the use of sprinkling?
Back in the day when this writer was a sprite the usual watering routine for tract houses was the laying out of a hose and a sprinkler on a lawn of Bermuda or rye grass. No working man expected his lawn to be a green verdant carpet. One watered one's lawn to keep the dormant grass from dying.
During high summer it was not unusual for the working man to lay out a hose and some sort of sprinkler on his lawn during the heat of the day and turn on the water. This usually resulted in the neighborhood kids running through the sprinkler to keep cool. In those days the householder sat on his front porch, perhaps with a friend or two and a six pack of Lucky Lager or Hamm's, and watch a rotary sprinkler water what appeared to be dry and dead grass. Those of a literary bent may recall Raymond Chandler's description of a sprinkler in high summer watering yellow grass.
In those days it was expected that grass turned yellow in the summer and that only those freaks who planted dicondra on their front lawns expected year round greenery; and even those guys were pulling the Rainbird and hose out to water the lawn.
Some years ago the grass known as tall fescue came into favor and householders invested in sprinkler systems and it became a norm that lawn were green year round and kids did not run through sprinklers (because sprinklers are usually set to fire off at about 5 in the morning.
It's just not right. It's not L.A. It's some sort of East Coast nonsense. If one cannot have kids running through one's sprinklers on a hot day what's the use of sprinkling?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Republicans Eating Their Young
The two entrenched political parties in the United States remind this writer of the legend of Saturn. Those, who took Greek mythology in high school, will remember that Saturn was in the habit of eating his own offspring in order to protect his position as Master of the Universe. And eventually, by some strange twist of fate that only happens in Greek mythology, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades overthrew Saturn and took over the store.
The Democrats eat their more conservative members, which is not strange since the Democrat party, in it's autoimmune affliction, is ever trending left-ward. One soon expects to see the image of Norman Thomas along with that of Jefferson and the later Roosevelt as heroes of its movement.
The Republicans, on the other hand, have, since the days of Ronald Reagan ("The 11th commandment is 'Thou Shalt Speak No Ill of Another Republican'") have played the Big Tent game. Those days are gone.
The Tea Party Movement has shown the lie. The establishment Republicans, the Republican elite and the white shoe Republicans have found the Tea Party Movement to be a threat and they don't like it. The Tea Party Republicans have put into action, as well as they can, the ideas mouthed by the establishment Republicans. And the elites are panicking and are trying to eat their young.
It was Sarah Palin that first set off in the days before the Tea Party Movement. While they nominated Palin as Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008, they expected her to be a meek and kowtowing partner to the lying John McCaine and to be a sop to Republican women. When it turned out that she was more popular among the grunts who cast votes than their "Hero", they panicked and started, under their breath, the slut and nut campaign in a way that played right into the hands of the Wrong Party. Palin was either a slut, because she was/is an attractive woman with nice legs, or she was a nut because she was/is a Christian.
This past Tuesday there was a primary in which Christine O'Donnell was chosen by Republican voters as their candidate for the Senatorial race in Delaware despite the fact that the Republican establishment preferred Mike Castle. Castle was a Republican of the McCaine sort i.e., let us come and reason together and I'll give you whatever you want if you like me. Mrs. O'Donnell was the Tea Party candidate and the establishment Republicans wasted no time in playing the slut and nut game on her. She's cute (if the reader likes that type) and is thus, in the ER opinion, dumb, and she's a damn kook because she holds to traditional Christian values and that she admitted in the past, during high school, dabbled in a form of witchcraft (who of us in high school has not done something that we would rather forget? Just look at your senior yearbook photograph.).
That Republican puppetmaster, Karl Rove, wasted no time pounding on Mrs. O'Donnell and then had the gall to say in an intereview that he was a big fan of the Tea Party Movement. Remember that this slug was the architect of George W. Bush's position on illegal aliens (otherwise known as amnesty).
The ERs cry that they want to put Republicans in office and want to run electable Republicans instead of kooks. In many case an electable Republican is a Democrat light. The ERs do not stand for conservativism. They stand for expediency. They stand for their position in society and in the body politic even if they have to bend over and take a long and thick hard one from the Dems. In other words, and to be very vulgar, the ERs would rather suck Democrat c**k and have their Lincoln Continentals and mini-mansions rather than stand up for the principles of the Consitution and liberty and drive Kias and live in tract houses as do the Tea Partyers.
Hell, the Established Republican Party has not even bothered to run a candidate in the Congressional district that encompasses Nib Manor in many years. Well, to be more correct, there has been a Republican candidate, but the candidate has nor received the support of the Republican Party. The Establishment Republicans have written off this district and thus, we here at the Manor have not been truly represented in Congress. We have been represented by a representative for illegal aliens.
It's all about money with the ERs. Principles take third place. The perfect example is Meg Whitman. She's not a conservative, but she has money and she is the Republican candidate for governor of the state of California. She has money. She'll probably defeat the Gollum known as Jerry Brown. And she is electable instead of principled.
Here's the deal. One has to ask oneself whether one is willing to whore oneself out by voting for an "electable" instead of a person of principle.
The Established Republican Party holds toward the former. The Tea Party Movement holds toward the latter. It will only be when we of the truly conservative and Tea Party work and work and work until we have wins based on principle instead of expediency that we will be able to announce ourselves as Zeus, Poseidon and Hades and that the Saturn that is the present Republican Party is cast of into the cosmos.
The Democrats eat their more conservative members, which is not strange since the Democrat party, in it's autoimmune affliction, is ever trending left-ward. One soon expects to see the image of Norman Thomas along with that of Jefferson and the later Roosevelt as heroes of its movement.
The Republicans, on the other hand, have, since the days of Ronald Reagan ("The 11th commandment is 'Thou Shalt Speak No Ill of Another Republican'") have played the Big Tent game. Those days are gone.
The Tea Party Movement has shown the lie. The establishment Republicans, the Republican elite and the white shoe Republicans have found the Tea Party Movement to be a threat and they don't like it. The Tea Party Republicans have put into action, as well as they can, the ideas mouthed by the establishment Republicans. And the elites are panicking and are trying to eat their young.
It was Sarah Palin that first set off in the days before the Tea Party Movement. While they nominated Palin as Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008, they expected her to be a meek and kowtowing partner to the lying John McCaine and to be a sop to Republican women. When it turned out that she was more popular among the grunts who cast votes than their "Hero", they panicked and started, under their breath, the slut and nut campaign in a way that played right into the hands of the Wrong Party. Palin was either a slut, because she was/is an attractive woman with nice legs, or she was a nut because she was/is a Christian.
This past Tuesday there was a primary in which Christine O'Donnell was chosen by Republican voters as their candidate for the Senatorial race in Delaware despite the fact that the Republican establishment preferred Mike Castle. Castle was a Republican of the McCaine sort i.e., let us come and reason together and I'll give you whatever you want if you like me. Mrs. O'Donnell was the Tea Party candidate and the establishment Republicans wasted no time in playing the slut and nut game on her. She's cute (if the reader likes that type) and is thus, in the ER opinion, dumb, and she's a damn kook because she holds to traditional Christian values and that she admitted in the past, during high school, dabbled in a form of witchcraft (who of us in high school has not done something that we would rather forget? Just look at your senior yearbook photograph.).
That Republican puppetmaster, Karl Rove, wasted no time pounding on Mrs. O'Donnell and then had the gall to say in an intereview that he was a big fan of the Tea Party Movement. Remember that this slug was the architect of George W. Bush's position on illegal aliens (otherwise known as amnesty).
The ERs cry that they want to put Republicans in office and want to run electable Republicans instead of kooks. In many case an electable Republican is a Democrat light. The ERs do not stand for conservativism. They stand for expediency. They stand for their position in society and in the body politic even if they have to bend over and take a long and thick hard one from the Dems. In other words, and to be very vulgar, the ERs would rather suck Democrat c**k and have their Lincoln Continentals and mini-mansions rather than stand up for the principles of the Consitution and liberty and drive Kias and live in tract houses as do the Tea Partyers.
Hell, the Established Republican Party has not even bothered to run a candidate in the Congressional district that encompasses Nib Manor in many years. Well, to be more correct, there has been a Republican candidate, but the candidate has nor received the support of the Republican Party. The Establishment Republicans have written off this district and thus, we here at the Manor have not been truly represented in Congress. We have been represented by a representative for illegal aliens.
It's all about money with the ERs. Principles take third place. The perfect example is Meg Whitman. She's not a conservative, but she has money and she is the Republican candidate for governor of the state of California. She has money. She'll probably defeat the Gollum known as Jerry Brown. And she is electable instead of principled.
Here's the deal. One has to ask oneself whether one is willing to whore oneself out by voting for an "electable" instead of a person of principle.
The Established Republican Party holds toward the former. The Tea Party Movement holds toward the latter. It will only be when we of the truly conservative and Tea Party work and work and work until we have wins based on principle instead of expediency that we will be able to announce ourselves as Zeus, Poseidon and Hades and that the Saturn that is the present Republican Party is cast of into the cosmos.
A Realization
The other day this writer came to a realization. The scales fell from his eyes and he could finally see.
The realization is this:
Liberals are an autoimmune disease on the body politic.
The reader has probably realized this fact, but there it is.
The realization is this:
Liberals are an autoimmune disease on the body politic.
The reader has probably realized this fact, but there it is.
Men in Hats
Actually, the title of this particular edition of Men in Hats is not quite correct. This edition deals with the beret. A beret is not a hat. Properly speaking, a beret is a cap. And this edition deals only with the Basque or French beret -- not the military beret. Military berets should only be worn by members of the military.So, to get to the point, the beret, in the United States, is usually considered the headgear of the beatnik, the weird-o, expatriate Hungarians, the artist and men who just not quite get into wearing caps and hats.
Let it be known to the reader that your faithful correspondent has worn a beret at his work place for many years, The value of the beret in a machine shop is that it protects one's head from dripping machine oil and flying metal chips. For the non-machinist the beret serves to keep the head warm in the winter and to give the wearer a certain elan that a ball cap or pinched front cap cannot match. The beret is easily storable and can be stuffed into one's back pocket while not wearing it at a bistro, or slid through the epaulet or one's trench coat while interviewing a old leader in Eastern Europe.
The best berets are offered in three different sizes. By sizes the writer does not mean hat size. The size in question refers to the size of the widest part of the beret. The smallest size looks somewhat like a Girl Scout beret. The largest size looks like a nineteenth century French painter's beret -- very floppy. The norm is a medium size as is shown in the photo of the crazy old coot at the top of this edition.
The advantage of the beret is that one can more or less shape it to one's personality. Some pull the excess fabric forward giving a bit of a determined type look. Some pull the excess fabric back and wear the beret as did Che Guevara (as an aside, it should be a national policy that if anyone be seen in public wearing a Che tee-shirt in public, that person should be shot right in the silver star of the beret of the tee-shirt. Guevara was a monster of the worst sort). Some wears pull the beret to the side while others, as the old coot above, believe in the circle mode of wear.
The best berets are made with lanolin rich wool and should really never be washed and only very carefully dry cleaned at the worst. The best way to clean them is to brush them off and only clean the headband. To wash a beret is to destroy the rain repellent quality of the beret. A good beret should have a proper integral headband. Those without headbands are cheap and will not last a year. The best headbands are of leather, but Kangol makes a decent beret with a grosgrain headband.
For summer wear in hot climates there are crocheted cotton berets available. The best are made in Canada and are available in many colors. The cotton berets do not have headbands, but they are long lasting berets.
In a pinch, one can were a Rastafarian style toque. The mass market versions of these toques are usually made in Guatemala, and are usually made featuring patterns using red, yellow and black as colors. This writer, for years, wore a toque with a pattern based on the Grateful Dead's Lighting Skull logo in red, white and blue. The only problem with the toque is that people assume one is a pothead or Reggae fan, and that they are a bit heavy. But they do last a long time.
So, if you're not into wearing a proper hat and don't want to look like a goon or adolescent by wearing a ball cap, consider the beret. At first some people may think that you're some sort of beatnik wannbe, but after a while they'll realize that you, in your own way, are running with the bulls.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Big Lizard Speaks
While we here at the Manor think that the the whole burning of the Koran was pretty much a waste of time and lighter fluid, Big Lizard has a thoughtful take on the whole deal:
Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Bottoming Out: the Commonest Manifesto”
Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Bottoming Out: the Commonest Manifesto”
A Good Question
Michelle Malkin asks a good question concerning teh memorial at Ground Zero:
Michelle Malkin » 9/12: America’s monumental shame
Michelle Malkin » 9/12: America’s monumental shame
Asylum or No?
This is interesting:
Saudi Diplomat Seeking Asylum: ‘My life is in danger’
The question is, since this man was a spokesman for a regime that has proven itself to be cruel and barbaric for many years, does he deserve to be given asylum? He was part of the government. He was an apologist for the government. His job was to excuse barbaric acts perpetrated by his government. Now that he's been outed as a homosexual and a close friend of a Jewish woman (gasp!) by the government that he represented, he feels danger.
Is there a reason that he should not be sent back to the desert kingdom to face the music he helped to compose?
Saudi Diplomat Seeking Asylum: ‘My life is in danger’
The question is, since this man was a spokesman for a regime that has proven itself to be cruel and barbaric for many years, does he deserve to be given asylum? He was part of the government. He was an apologist for the government. His job was to excuse barbaric acts perpetrated by his government. Now that he's been outed as a homosexual and a close friend of a Jewish woman (gasp!) by the government that he represented, he feels danger.
Is there a reason that he should not be sent back to the desert kingdom to face the music he helped to compose?
We're Investing Blood and Toil for These Idiots?
Terry Jones did not burn the Koran, but, despite the easy access of information, the Afghanis seem not to have gotten the word. Three days of rioting.
Two Afghans killed as Koran protests simmer - Yahoo! News
Perhaps we should withdraw our troops, build a wall around the place and annually napalm the opium poppy fields.
Two Afghans killed as Koran protests simmer - Yahoo! News
Perhaps we should withdraw our troops, build a wall around the place and annually napalm the opium poppy fields.
Soft Islam?
This afternoon after your faithful correspondent returned from church, he turned on the television set and watched a bit of a PBS program hosted by Robert Abernathy dealing with religion and society. This particular episode dealt with Mohammedans in America and how they are "misunderstood." In fact, the program posited that most Mohammedans in the world are misunderstood by the Infidel.
The one bright spot in the program was a black American Islamic leader who urged the members of his mosque to quell the radical talk and appreciate the fact that in the United States they have more freedom than they ever did in their home countries. He was working, in his own manner, to make the members of his mosque, understand why the average American looks at them askance and don't like them much. This man appeared to be the one moderate Mohammedan that the media loves writing about.
The darkest spot of the program was a sock puppet who teaches at Notre Dame who sang the same old song about the Koran being misunderstood and that the state of the economy is the main reason that Americans dislike our Orc brothers and sisters. In fact, the man stated that the leery attitude of the average Yank towards Islam is of the same level of mindless prejudice as the that of Americans against the Irish in the 1850s and the Italians in the 1890s.
The difference, of course, is that neither Ireland nor Italy, waged war on the US. And the Roman Catholic Church, while refusing to recognize national boundaries, in the theological sense, never called for the overthrow of the American Democratic Republic system of government.
The United States has been at war with Islam since the Barbary Wars. Europe has been at war with Islam since the 8th century. The wars have not ended. Islam refuses to stop waging war against Infidels. When one regards the treatment of non-Muslims in Muslim countries it is clear that Islam allows no room for any religion but itself. Consider the Bahais (a form of Unitarian/Reformist Islam) in Iran and the Arab countries, the treatment of Jews in Arab countries, the treatment of Christians in Arab nations, the treatment of Buddhists and Hindus in Islamic dominated areas of South Asia. What has happened is that the West, because of a softening of the culture, has stopped fighting and has tried to reason with the unreasonable. This is tantamount with trying to reason with a while one's leg is being gnawed upon instead of taking a baseball bat to said dog's head when threatened. One doesn't have to kill it, but one has to deter it's enthusiasm for killing one, and urging it to go back to it's own yard and eat its own young.
This writer urges the read to peruse this article by Andrew McCarthy. Mr. McCarthy was, at one time, a federal prosecutor and he has much experience with Islamists:
Imagining Islam - Article - National Review Online
The one bright spot in the program was a black American Islamic leader who urged the members of his mosque to quell the radical talk and appreciate the fact that in the United States they have more freedom than they ever did in their home countries. He was working, in his own manner, to make the members of his mosque, understand why the average American looks at them askance and don't like them much. This man appeared to be the one moderate Mohammedan that the media loves writing about.
The darkest spot of the program was a sock puppet who teaches at Notre Dame who sang the same old song about the Koran being misunderstood and that the state of the economy is the main reason that Americans dislike our Orc brothers and sisters. In fact, the man stated that the leery attitude of the average Yank towards Islam is of the same level of mindless prejudice as the that of Americans against the Irish in the 1850s and the Italians in the 1890s.
The difference, of course, is that neither Ireland nor Italy, waged war on the US. And the Roman Catholic Church, while refusing to recognize national boundaries, in the theological sense, never called for the overthrow of the American Democratic Republic system of government.
The United States has been at war with Islam since the Barbary Wars. Europe has been at war with Islam since the 8th century. The wars have not ended. Islam refuses to stop waging war against Infidels. When one regards the treatment of non-Muslims in Muslim countries it is clear that Islam allows no room for any religion but itself. Consider the Bahais (a form of Unitarian/Reformist Islam) in Iran and the Arab countries, the treatment of Jews in Arab countries, the treatment of Christians in Arab nations, the treatment of Buddhists and Hindus in Islamic dominated areas of South Asia. What has happened is that the West, because of a softening of the culture, has stopped fighting and has tried to reason with the unreasonable. This is tantamount with trying to reason with a while one's leg is being gnawed upon instead of taking a baseball bat to said dog's head when threatened. One doesn't have to kill it, but one has to deter it's enthusiasm for killing one, and urging it to go back to it's own yard and eat its own young.
This writer urges the read to peruse this article by Andrew McCarthy. Mr. McCarthy was, at one time, a federal prosecutor and he has much experience with Islamists:
Imagining Islam - Article - National Review Online
The World Survived
On this Sunday, September 12 in the year of Our Lord 2010, this writer awoke to find that the world has survived despite the prophecies of sure destruction by those wringing their hands over the proposed burning of the Koran by one Pastor Terry Jones of Florida.
This fact may have something to do with the fact that Jones, decided not to burn the Koran after getting a new directive from God. It seems to your faithful correspondent that his original idea to burn the Koran was inspired by a whisper in his ear from the Almighty. Who knew that God was so indecisive?
But others burned Korans on September 11, but nothing much happened except a little more pollution in the air and a little more anger from people living in countries that nobody in his right mind wants to have anything to do with. In other words.
The President made a mealy-mouthed speech remembering and "honoring" the attack on 9/11/01, and it was pretty weak beer. But what can one expect from a man who believes in nothing but his own greatness? Think of George Armstrong Custer without the bravery, dash and boldness. But the One will, if given the chance, lead the nation into a metaphorical Little Big Horn and it will be unlikely if even a metaphorical horse named Comanche survives.
This writer, as any casual reader of this blog is well aware, is no expert on Islam. He has not done any deep and serious study of the religion and culture. His opinions are based on information received by various news organizations, scholars and opinion makers. And his opinions are colored by his Christianity. So the reader can take or leave this writer's opinions and decision to post various links.
Having said that, this writer has been favored by comments concerning several posts by Trencherbone. Having read Trencherbone's blog, your faithful correspondent can do nothing less than recommend the reader to read Trencherbone's blog. His insights and comments are valuable and show a degree of knowledge concerning Mohammedism far beyond that of this writer. There is a link to his blog on the right side of this page, and here is a link if the reader does not feel up to moving a cursor:
Trencherbone
This fact may have something to do with the fact that Jones, decided not to burn the Koran after getting a new directive from God. It seems to your faithful correspondent that his original idea to burn the Koran was inspired by a whisper in his ear from the Almighty. Who knew that God was so indecisive?
But others burned Korans on September 11, but nothing much happened except a little more pollution in the air and a little more anger from people living in countries that nobody in his right mind wants to have anything to do with. In other words.
The President made a mealy-mouthed speech remembering and "honoring" the attack on 9/11/01, and it was pretty weak beer. But what can one expect from a man who believes in nothing but his own greatness? Think of George Armstrong Custer without the bravery, dash and boldness. But the One will, if given the chance, lead the nation into a metaphorical Little Big Horn and it will be unlikely if even a metaphorical horse named Comanche survives.
This writer, as any casual reader of this blog is well aware, is no expert on Islam. He has not done any deep and serious study of the religion and culture. His opinions are based on information received by various news organizations, scholars and opinion makers. And his opinions are colored by his Christianity. So the reader can take or leave this writer's opinions and decision to post various links.
Having said that, this writer has been favored by comments concerning several posts by Trencherbone. Having read Trencherbone's blog, your faithful correspondent can do nothing less than recommend the reader to read Trencherbone's blog. His insights and comments are valuable and show a degree of knowledge concerning Mohammedism far beyond that of this writer. There is a link to his blog on the right side of this page, and here is a link if the reader does not feel up to moving a cursor:
Trencherbone
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Do You Hate Muslims?
Several times in the past this writer has been asked the question: "Do you hate Muslims?"
The answer is this:
This writer does not hate Muslims. This writer hates Islam. This writer is of the opinion that Islam is a false and Satanic religion. Whether or not poor suckers sign on to Islam just shows that all too many people are stupid suckers.
The answer is this:
This writer does not hate Muslims. This writer hates Islam. This writer is of the opinion that Islam is a false and Satanic religion. Whether or not poor suckers sign on to Islam just shows that all too many people are stupid suckers.
The Ground Zero Mosque
When one compares the speeches by Pres. Geo Bush and The One at Ground Zero one can see how far we, as a nation, have fallen. The One almost apologizes.
But to get to the point. Here's an analysis of the main Orc who wants to build the mosque:
Alyssa A. Lappen
But to get to the point. Here's an analysis of the main Orc who wants to build the mosque:
Alyssa A. Lappen
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Orcs on the March
We here at the Manor have been watching with interest the developments of the Ground Zero Mosque in New York City and how certain elements of the media and "opinion-makers" have hurled the charge of "Racism" against those who are protesting the building of said mosque/cultural center. Which raises the question: What race is Islam? Arab? Iranian? Balkan European? West Chinese? Indonesian? Indian?
Let it be known by all that this writer is of the opinion that the Orcs have the legal and constitutional right to build their spiritual dungeon on the site, no matter what the source of funding. But there is a moral and cultural matter that is involved. Most Yanks see the building of the mosque at that location as an insult and a symbolic colonization of the US by the Mohammedans. The majority of Americans see the mosque as an attempted foothold by the sons of Mohammad to establish, at first, a large public presence in the nation, and later, a domination of the nation. We, in the Southwest of this great nation, see the same attempts and philosophy by the Reconquistas who want to merge the Southwest with that criminal and cultural hole known as Mexico.
All we have to do is look to Europe to see what the consequences of a nominally Christian nation falling asleep at the wheel or feeling so sorry for our little brown brothers (as the media would have it) to the point that we're living in the garage while they are partying it up in our house.
Your faithful correspondent does not usually pay much attention to the Christian Broadcasting Network simply because Pat Robinson is a bit of a nut. But occasionally its news service has something valuable to offer such as this report from Paris and the aggressive and illegal actions by the Orcs which the French government, in its fear of offending, puts up with:
YouTube - 'Islamization' of Paris a Warning to the West - CBN.com
Let us remember that it was the almost divine Brigitte Bardot, sex kitten of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, who first and most vocally, protested the ruination of La Belle France by the Orcs. And she has paid the price time and time and time again in courts that held to political correctness instead of common sense and national sovereignty. She once wrote that she missed the sound of church bells on a Sunday morning (which had been banned by the French government) and resented the sound of a muezzin caterwauling from a minaret five times a day. She mourned the passing of the honest French whore and its replacement by thieving North African whore. La Belle Bardot has suffered for her opinions regarding the Orcs, and has shown much more courage than the average French politician:
Ex-film star Bardot gets fifth racism conviction | Reuters
And, while writing about Bardot, let us remember, via song and image, what a special woman she was. And is:
YouTube - brigitte bardot tribute
Apparently, probably too late, the Germans seem to be waking up to the national threat posed by Mohammedan immigrants. Years ago it was a joke in your faithful correspondent's circles that if one bought an Audi, Mercedes or VW one was not really buying a German car. One was buying a car built in a German factory assembled by Turks. The Hun is now paying the price for cheap labor and idiotic politicians. As you read the following, if you live in the Southwest, apply it to your neighborhood, city and state:
Gates of Vienna: It Must Be Permissible to Say…
This writer urges all his readers to read the novel The Camp of the Saints. The truth of the novel may be coming faster than you realize.
Let it be known by all that this writer is of the opinion that the Orcs have the legal and constitutional right to build their spiritual dungeon on the site, no matter what the source of funding. But there is a moral and cultural matter that is involved. Most Yanks see the building of the mosque at that location as an insult and a symbolic colonization of the US by the Mohammedans. The majority of Americans see the mosque as an attempted foothold by the sons of Mohammad to establish, at first, a large public presence in the nation, and later, a domination of the nation. We, in the Southwest of this great nation, see the same attempts and philosophy by the Reconquistas who want to merge the Southwest with that criminal and cultural hole known as Mexico.
All we have to do is look to Europe to see what the consequences of a nominally Christian nation falling asleep at the wheel or feeling so sorry for our little brown brothers (as the media would have it) to the point that we're living in the garage while they are partying it up in our house.
Your faithful correspondent does not usually pay much attention to the Christian Broadcasting Network simply because Pat Robinson is a bit of a nut. But occasionally its news service has something valuable to offer such as this report from Paris and the aggressive and illegal actions by the Orcs which the French government, in its fear of offending, puts up with:
YouTube - 'Islamization' of Paris a Warning to the West - CBN.com
Let us remember that it was the almost divine Brigitte Bardot, sex kitten of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, who first and most vocally, protested the ruination of La Belle France by the Orcs. And she has paid the price time and time and time again in courts that held to political correctness instead of common sense and national sovereignty. She once wrote that she missed the sound of church bells on a Sunday morning (which had been banned by the French government) and resented the sound of a muezzin caterwauling from a minaret five times a day. She mourned the passing of the honest French whore and its replacement by thieving North African whore. La Belle Bardot has suffered for her opinions regarding the Orcs, and has shown much more courage than the average French politician:
Ex-film star Bardot gets fifth racism conviction | Reuters
And, while writing about Bardot, let us remember, via song and image, what a special woman she was. And is:
YouTube - brigitte bardot tribute
Apparently, probably too late, the Germans seem to be waking up to the national threat posed by Mohammedan immigrants. Years ago it was a joke in your faithful correspondent's circles that if one bought an Audi, Mercedes or VW one was not really buying a German car. One was buying a car built in a German factory assembled by Turks. The Hun is now paying the price for cheap labor and idiotic politicians. As you read the following, if you live in the Southwest, apply it to your neighborhood, city and state:
Gates of Vienna: It Must Be Permissible to Say…
This writer urges all his readers to read the novel The Camp of the Saints. The truth of the novel may be coming faster than you realize.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Gypsies
Back in the day when television was worth watching Second City Television used to do a couple of bits with John Candy in which he made comments that stated that Gypsies were no damn good. To put it succinctly, Candy would say something like, "Gypsies? Phhht!."
We hear at the Manor used to spend a lot more time playing three cushion billiards as a parlour in Bellflower than was good for us. At the same parlour there used to be a group of Gypsies who were always looking for the main chance. In fact, this writer recalls an incident when a Gypsy tried to abscond with your faithful correspondent's custom billiards cue by pretending that he thought it was a house cue.
Here's the deal, from the Manor. Not all Gypsies are crooks. Some of them are honest and Christian people. But a lot of them conform to the stereotype.
France, having finally come to its senses, has decided that the Rom (or Gypsies) who have been sneaking into La Belle France, are not a addition to the nation and have decided to kick them back to Romania. where they cannot get as rich from thievery and prostitution as they have gotten in France.
As can be expected, the unthinking and the liberal who do not have to suffer the depredations of said Rom, have mounted protests to prevent the re-patriation of the Rom to their home nation. But some people will allow the existence of rapists and child molesters as long as said perverts are not in their neighborhood. Liberalism is easy as long as the liberalism is not in one's neighborhood.
John Derbyshire, in this article, addresses the matter of Gypsies in England. It's a long article, but hang in there. And then ask yourself if you want neighbors like those he describes:
August Diary - Article - National Review Online
We hear at the Manor used to spend a lot more time playing three cushion billiards as a parlour in Bellflower than was good for us. At the same parlour there used to be a group of Gypsies who were always looking for the main chance. In fact, this writer recalls an incident when a Gypsy tried to abscond with your faithful correspondent's custom billiards cue by pretending that he thought it was a house cue.
Here's the deal, from the Manor. Not all Gypsies are crooks. Some of them are honest and Christian people. But a lot of them conform to the stereotype.
France, having finally come to its senses, has decided that the Rom (or Gypsies) who have been sneaking into La Belle France, are not a addition to the nation and have decided to kick them back to Romania. where they cannot get as rich from thievery and prostitution as they have gotten in France.
As can be expected, the unthinking and the liberal who do not have to suffer the depredations of said Rom, have mounted protests to prevent the re-patriation of the Rom to their home nation. But some people will allow the existence of rapists and child molesters as long as said perverts are not in their neighborhood. Liberalism is easy as long as the liberalism is not in one's neighborhood.
John Derbyshire, in this article, addresses the matter of Gypsies in England. It's a long article, but hang in there. And then ask yourself if you want neighbors like those he describes:
August Diary - Article - National Review Online
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Listen to This Guy
Andrew Klavan is a talented writer of crime and thriller novels. He's also a Christian who was born a Jew. The added bonus is that he's funny and thoughtful at the same time.
In the YouTube video linked below he asks, and answers, the question, Does Islam Suck?
Klavan on the Culture: Does Islam Suck?
In the YouTube video linked below he asks, and answers, the question, Does Islam Suck?
Klavan on the Culture: Does Islam Suck?
Dig It
A man who is a much better writer than your faithful correspondent has a few words to say about the anger of the citizens on the nation. Read it and dig it:
The Sources of American Anger - Article - National Review Online
The Sources of American Anger - Article - National Review Online
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Islamic Sunday
The big controversy regard Sheik Obama this week concerns the belief among about 25% of the American populace is a Mohammedan and not a Christian. Every paid talker and writer has commented on this matter and those of the liberal bent scratch their beards and mumble something about the American population being, at root, racist and Christianist. Conservatives mutter something about the fact that The One made a verbal faux pas during an interview with Bill Clinton's resident dwarf in which he stated that he was a Muslim, only to be corrected by the ABC flak that, no, Obama was not a Muslim, but is, in fact, a Christian. At which point The One stated something to the effect of, "Oh, yeah. I forgot."
Even Franklin Graham has gotten in on the game and stated half the truth. Rev. Graham stated that Obama was, by Islamic Law, born a Muslim because his father was a Muslim. Where Rev. Graham missed the boat was when he stated that now Pres. Obama is a Christian because Mr. Obama had made a statement of faith in Jesus Christ.
The truth of the matter is that, while The One may have made a statement of faith and attended a Christian church of sorts while in Chicago, the fact remains that Mr. Obama, in his behavior and statements and policies has shown that he is not, in fact, a Christian except in the most liberally applied cultural sense.
This writer has never made, as a public person, referred to Our Lord in a speech. In fact, he's not referred to God the Father.
It is the opinion of this writer that Mr. Obama is a secularist. He has no religion but himself. He may be an atheist or an agnostic, but his religion, if it can so be called, seems to be based on that old poem that was so popular among self satisfied high school boys, Invicticus. It's a silly poem based on the narcissism that one can only find among adolescents.
The tussle about the mosque at Ground Zero (also known as the Cordoba Project) goes on. Today and yesterday many, many New Yorkers of various races and religions ranging from Christians and Jews to Hindus, turned out to protest the building of this insult to the West. While we here at the Manor will admit that the building of the mosque is protected by the Constitution, we think that it is a bad idea and intended insult to the West.
One thing to keep in mind is that the mosque building project is called the Cordoba Project. The cathedral at Cordoba Spain was turned into a mosque in the 8th century. The transformation was a force transformation. The Orcs considered the Cordoba mosque as the center of Islam in the West. It was their foothold before El Cid and Roland drove them back to their desert paradise. One thing to note is that the Muslims claimed the edifice as their despite the fact that they did not build it. They also claim, to this day, the former Saint Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople and the only changes they have made to the building was to strip the alters and iconostasis and build four minarets around the perimeter. The Orcs used Saint Sophia's as their headquarters during the Ottoman Empire and denied, while expanding their empire, the right of Christians to worship at the buildings they had, in fact built. The same will happen if the mosque at Ground Zero is built. The best reaction among Christians and Jews is to buy building or spaces near the mosque and establish churches and synagogues -- many churches and synagogues. The idea being that the mosque will be a freak and the Orcs will be freaks among a group of Christians and Jews who pray for the conversion of them to either Christianity or Judaism.
One finds oneself wishing for a new El Cid:
Gates of Vienna: El Cid Versus the Mosque, Part 1
Meanwhile, as we enter the election season, ask yourself if your candidate for Congress is as straight talking as this man, Lt.Col. Allen West:
YouTube - Allen West on Islamic Fundamentalism.wmv
Even Franklin Graham has gotten in on the game and stated half the truth. Rev. Graham stated that Obama was, by Islamic Law, born a Muslim because his father was a Muslim. Where Rev. Graham missed the boat was when he stated that now Pres. Obama is a Christian because Mr. Obama had made a statement of faith in Jesus Christ.
The truth of the matter is that, while The One may have made a statement of faith and attended a Christian church of sorts while in Chicago, the fact remains that Mr. Obama, in his behavior and statements and policies has shown that he is not, in fact, a Christian except in the most liberally applied cultural sense.
This writer has never made, as a public person, referred to Our Lord in a speech. In fact, he's not referred to God the Father.
It is the opinion of this writer that Mr. Obama is a secularist. He has no religion but himself. He may be an atheist or an agnostic, but his religion, if it can so be called, seems to be based on that old poem that was so popular among self satisfied high school boys, Invicticus. It's a silly poem based on the narcissism that one can only find among adolescents.
The tussle about the mosque at Ground Zero (also known as the Cordoba Project) goes on. Today and yesterday many, many New Yorkers of various races and religions ranging from Christians and Jews to Hindus, turned out to protest the building of this insult to the West. While we here at the Manor will admit that the building of the mosque is protected by the Constitution, we think that it is a bad idea and intended insult to the West.
One thing to keep in mind is that the mosque building project is called the Cordoba Project. The cathedral at Cordoba Spain was turned into a mosque in the 8th century. The transformation was a force transformation. The Orcs considered the Cordoba mosque as the center of Islam in the West. It was their foothold before El Cid and Roland drove them back to their desert paradise. One thing to note is that the Muslims claimed the edifice as their despite the fact that they did not build it. They also claim, to this day, the former Saint Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople and the only changes they have made to the building was to strip the alters and iconostasis and build four minarets around the perimeter. The Orcs used Saint Sophia's as their headquarters during the Ottoman Empire and denied, while expanding their empire, the right of Christians to worship at the buildings they had, in fact built. The same will happen if the mosque at Ground Zero is built. The best reaction among Christians and Jews is to buy building or spaces near the mosque and establish churches and synagogues -- many churches and synagogues. The idea being that the mosque will be a freak and the Orcs will be freaks among a group of Christians and Jews who pray for the conversion of them to either Christianity or Judaism.
One finds oneself wishing for a new El Cid:
Gates of Vienna: El Cid Versus the Mosque, Part 1
Meanwhile, as we enter the election season, ask yourself if your candidate for Congress is as straight talking as this man, Lt.Col. Allen West:
YouTube - Allen West on Islamic Fundamentalism.wmv
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Liberal Mind Part 2
After a bit of thought your faithful correspondent has come to a conclusion regarding the liberal mind.
To be short, the liberal thinks that their positions are those of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Consider how many times liberals (even those who self-identify themselves as atheists and agnostics) refer to Christ and the Sermon on the Mount.
They do not seem to realize that Our Lord addressed himself to the poor and common in a different way than He did toward the wealthy and privileged. Christ was winsome toward the poor. He was rough and hard against the privileged. But He did not cut anyone slack. He knew an idiot and He knew a sinner. And He was against them both.
Liberals misunderstand Jesus in that they see Jesus excusing bad behaviour if the actor was poor and under-privileged. He held all me to the same standard.
Our Lord saw sin as sin, no matter the position of the sinner. The Liberal sees sins as a sliding scale.
In other words, the Liberal sees himself as more a Christ than Christ Himself.
To be short, the liberal thinks that their positions are those of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Consider how many times liberals (even those who self-identify themselves as atheists and agnostics) refer to Christ and the Sermon on the Mount.
They do not seem to realize that Our Lord addressed himself to the poor and common in a different way than He did toward the wealthy and privileged. Christ was winsome toward the poor. He was rough and hard against the privileged. But He did not cut anyone slack. He knew an idiot and He knew a sinner. And He was against them both.
Liberals misunderstand Jesus in that they see Jesus excusing bad behaviour if the actor was poor and under-privileged. He held all me to the same standard.
Our Lord saw sin as sin, no matter the position of the sinner. The Liberal sees sins as a sliding scale.
In other words, the Liberal sees himself as more a Christ than Christ Himself.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Liberal Mind
After many years of pondering your faithful correspondent has finally figured out what the liberal mind is all about.
The liberal is a person who thinks that he, or she. is a person who is putting into action the comfortable parts of the Sermon on the Mount. By "comfortable" this writer means those parts of the sermon that the liberal sees as societal instead of personal. They see your money as expendable and their behavior as excusable.
And as far as federal, state and municiple employees go, we at the Manor have only two words to say:
F*** You!
The bastards seem to win while the rest of us suffer.
The liberal is a person who thinks that he, or she. is a person who is putting into action the comfortable parts of the Sermon on the Mount. By "comfortable" this writer means those parts of the sermon that the liberal sees as societal instead of personal. They see your money as expendable and their behavior as excusable.
And as far as federal, state and municiple employees go, we at the Manor have only two words to say:
F*** You!
The bastards seem to win while the rest of us suffer.
Consider This
If you want to see what the Islamization of a nation is like, read this and all three installments:
France Becomes Africa, Part 1
Is it any question why Prime Minister is cracking down on illegal immigration in La Belle France?
France Becomes Africa, Part 1
Is it any question why Prime Minister is cracking down on illegal immigration in La Belle France?
Mosques, Proposition 8 and Liberals
By now, unless the reader has been living in a cave in Tibet, he or she is aware of the Ground Zero mosque controversy. In a sentence, the controversy involves the building of a mosque by the Orcs within a half block of the site of the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001. The instigator of this sacrilege against the memory of the those murdered by Orcs (his name doesn't matter because Orc leaders are interchangeable) states that the building of this edifice is an act of peace-making and compassion by the Mohammedan community in the United States (oddly, the money for this insult is being provided by Saudi Arabia; the home country of 14 of 19 of the highjackers).
There have been, understandably, protests against the building of the mosque by right thinking people. The answer by the Orcs and their factota has been that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees their right to build said mosque.
Nobody denies that the Islamists have the right to build the mosque. The question has been the propriety and sensitivity of building the mosque. The building of the mosque has been compared to the building of a Shinto shrine at Pearl Harbor or the building of a memorial to Jefferson Davis across the street from the NAACP.
But the Muslims have no care for the sensitivity of anyone but themselves. They cry "insensitive!" whenever anyone walks past a halal market while eating a ham sandwich. It's always a one way street with them.
This part Friday The One, at a White House celebration of Ramadan) stated that he supported the building of the mosque. Then a few hours after his statement when there was a public outcry against the wisdom of his comments, his mouthpieces stated that he did not necessarily support the building of the mosque, he thought it was Constitutional though not sensitive. Well, The One is a dissembler of the most base sort and it is probably best to regard his first statements as his true thoughts and feelings instead of his corrections. After all, The One was trained as a lawyer and a speaker and is articulate in the way that most of us aren't.
Others, much more talented in expressing thought than this writer have addresses this issue, and links are listed below:
Obama Backs Ground Zero Mosque at Ramadan Celebration - HUMAN EVENTS
Palin Blasts Obama on Ground Zero Mosque Endorsement - Atlas Shrugs
Gates of Vienna: If You Don’t Build It, They Won’t Come
This past week, in California, the home of Nib Manor, there has been a bit of an excitement concerning Proposition 8. Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition voted on by voters in California that banned the marriage of gay people to one another.
Two weeks ago a federal judge (a gay man) overturned the stated wish of the voters by saying that the proposition was unconstitutional. Needless to say, there was celebration in San Francisco, West Hollywood and Long Beach. This past week there were a number of homosexuals of both sexes at county courthouses expecting to get marriage licenses, only to be denied while the federal court ponders the matter.
As usual, the liberal press and yakkers have come out in favor of gay marriage and have called opponents of gay marriage "insensitive."
In other words, the homosexual lobby and the Orcs have both twigged onto the same argument for bad behavior: those Who are against us are "insensitive."
And here is where is all comes together. Those who advocate bad behavior have placed themselves as spokesmen for Our Lord Jesus Christ. An Orc, who wants to kill you, argues that he is more of a Christian than you are because you are insensitive to his needs. And a queer claims that he is more a Christian than he is because you are insensitive to his needs. You, as a Christian, are expected to give and give and give while those who insult you or who behave badly and take and take and take, are called a bigot, a homophobe, and Islamophobe despite the fact that Jesus Christ said that the only Way to Him was though Him (not some crazy epileptic Arab who contradicted himself regularly) or that Christ condemned homosexuality and wanton sexuality.
You're the bad guy for wanting to preserve the soul of the United States. They are the good guy for wanting to destroy what made this nation great.
We here at the Manor have only two words to say. F*** 'Em.
There have been, understandably, protests against the building of the mosque by right thinking people. The answer by the Orcs and their factota has been that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees their right to build said mosque.
Nobody denies that the Islamists have the right to build the mosque. The question has been the propriety and sensitivity of building the mosque. The building of the mosque has been compared to the building of a Shinto shrine at Pearl Harbor or the building of a memorial to Jefferson Davis across the street from the NAACP.
But the Muslims have no care for the sensitivity of anyone but themselves. They cry "insensitive!" whenever anyone walks past a halal market while eating a ham sandwich. It's always a one way street with them.
This part Friday The One, at a White House celebration of Ramadan) stated that he supported the building of the mosque. Then a few hours after his statement when there was a public outcry against the wisdom of his comments, his mouthpieces stated that he did not necessarily support the building of the mosque, he thought it was Constitutional though not sensitive. Well, The One is a dissembler of the most base sort and it is probably best to regard his first statements as his true thoughts and feelings instead of his corrections. After all, The One was trained as a lawyer and a speaker and is articulate in the way that most of us aren't.
Others, much more talented in expressing thought than this writer have addresses this issue, and links are listed below:
Obama Backs Ground Zero Mosque at Ramadan Celebration - HUMAN EVENTS
Palin Blasts Obama on Ground Zero Mosque Endorsement - Atlas Shrugs
Gates of Vienna: If You Don’t Build It, They Won’t Come
This past week, in California, the home of Nib Manor, there has been a bit of an excitement concerning Proposition 8. Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition voted on by voters in California that banned the marriage of gay people to one another.
Two weeks ago a federal judge (a gay man) overturned the stated wish of the voters by saying that the proposition was unconstitutional. Needless to say, there was celebration in San Francisco, West Hollywood and Long Beach. This past week there were a number of homosexuals of both sexes at county courthouses expecting to get marriage licenses, only to be denied while the federal court ponders the matter.
As usual, the liberal press and yakkers have come out in favor of gay marriage and have called opponents of gay marriage "insensitive."
In other words, the homosexual lobby and the Orcs have both twigged onto the same argument for bad behavior: those Who are against us are "insensitive."
And here is where is all comes together. Those who advocate bad behavior have placed themselves as spokesmen for Our Lord Jesus Christ. An Orc, who wants to kill you, argues that he is more of a Christian than you are because you are insensitive to his needs. And a queer claims that he is more a Christian than he is because you are insensitive to his needs. You, as a Christian, are expected to give and give and give while those who insult you or who behave badly and take and take and take, are called a bigot, a homophobe, and Islamophobe despite the fact that Jesus Christ said that the only Way to Him was though Him (not some crazy epileptic Arab who contradicted himself regularly) or that Christ condemned homosexuality and wanton sexuality.
You're the bad guy for wanting to preserve the soul of the United States. They are the good guy for wanting to destroy what made this nation great.
We here at the Manor have only two words to say. F*** 'Em.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Ann Rice
The author Anne Rice, the writer of the 1980s series of vampire novels beginning with The Interview With the Vampire, and who, several years ago claimed that she was a new born Christian of the Roman Catholic type, has, this week, declared that she renounces her identity as a Christian and that she is simply a follower of Christ.
Her declaration, imparted to the world at large via Twitter, states that she is upset with the infighting and anti-gay sentiment among those she calls Christians. Her statement shows that she knows little about the Faith.
To get down to cases, Anne Rice really has no idea about what a Christian is. A Christian is a person who adheres to one of the major confession (Apostles', Nicene, Chalcedonian). A Christian is a person who reads the Bible as literal and who, whether one agrees with what is written in the Bible, tries to adhere, to the best of one's ability, to the tenants of the the Bible.
Ms. Rice is showing herself to be a "Christianist". In other words, she thinks that Jesus is pretty much okay, but he may have gotten some things wrong. And she knows better than the Son of God.
Her declaration, imparted to the world at large via Twitter, states that she is upset with the infighting and anti-gay sentiment among those she calls Christians. Her statement shows that she knows little about the Faith.
To get down to cases, Anne Rice really has no idea about what a Christian is. A Christian is a person who adheres to one of the major confession (Apostles', Nicene, Chalcedonian). A Christian is a person who reads the Bible as literal and who, whether one agrees with what is written in the Bible, tries to adhere, to the best of one's ability, to the tenants of the the Bible.
Ms. Rice is showing herself to be a "Christianist". In other words, she thinks that Jesus is pretty much okay, but he may have gotten some things wrong. And she knows better than the Son of God.
Clowns
Remember back to your childhood when life was simpler and it was easy to laugh. One constant of childhood, up until about 25 years ago was the image of a clown. There was clown wallpaper in children's rooms, clown themed bibs, clown dolls and clowns hosting kids' television programs. As one grew older one lost one's appreciation for clowns because of the mistaken belief that clowns were beings for small children and just plain dumb.
But the fact of the matter is that, while those clowns that one was presented were pretty much childish and silly, those clowns were clowns for kids. They weren't real clowns of the classic sense. Real clowning is serious business and real clowns used to reflect the stupidest, the meanest and most frightening elements of our being. Consider the great clowns of the past. Emmett Kelly portrayed a character named Weary Willie. He was a sad sack tramp clown trying, in his own way, to better himself and failing. Red Skelton created Freddie the Freeloader, a tramp clown always looking for an easy life without putting out the work to earn it. Lou Adler (for many years the image of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus) created a clown who was bossy and stupid.
And it is because of, in this writer's opinion, that the classic clown (not kid clowns, not evangelist clowns, not mimes {the exception being Jacques Tati in his M.Hulot series of films}) is so despised by so many adults today. How many times have you heard, or you yourself have said, "I hate clowns" or "I'm afraid of clowns"? Could it be that the open, nay, grotesquely enthusiastic satirization of the worst features of the human condition. Clowns are, in a sense, an ugly mirror. In other words, look into this mirror and see who ugly you are despite the way you paint yourself (the clown's make-up).
Classical clowning has taken a lot of abuse from modern society in the West because the West has lost its Christian identity. To be a Christian is to realize that one is, by nature, deeply flawed and that there is a way to salvation through Christ. In times past, when the West was nominally Christian it was the norm to occasionally examine oneself and find and contemplate one's flaws and indwelling sins. The clown, in a humorous way, brought attention to the flaws. The clown represented the irreducable element of rascality that infects us all and the clown showed that to the audience and showed the consequences for not dealing with those flaws.
But we have, since then, as a society, lost our sense of shame. And it is considered an insult to have one's sins or flaws pointed out either by example (the clown method) or by direct comment (trying telling a friend or co-worker that he is acting like an idiot and see what your dental bill will be the next day). Clowns are creepy and "scary" because they are us
Nowadays, we still have clowns, but they are reality show personalities or celebrities. But before going into that factor of the unrecognized and oddly accepted and compelling clown, let us look at the three classic types of clowns and their bare-faced off-spring.
The first is the white-faced clown. The white-face, as well as painting his face white, wears very little other make-up. He rarely wears a rubber nose, but often a pointed cap. The white-face is a serious clown. He is self serious. He is a clown who knows more than he really knows, smarter than he really is. He is bossy and over-bearing.
The second is the Auguste clown. While often bearing a base of white make-up, the Auguste clown is usually more polychromatic, often with a rubber nose, a fringe wig and a horn or noisemaker of some sort. The Auguste clown appears, at first glance, to be rather stupid and often is stupid. He's usually the underling in some way to the white-face and is often abused by the white-face. In his bumbling and stumbling and apparent idiocy he often comes out in a better position than the white-face while the white-face thinks that he, himself, has come out on top.
Thirdly is the tramp clown. The tramp clown is usually a loner. He is usually rather lazy. He is a bit of a con man in some ways, but he's also a sad sack. Sometimes he is victorious in his endeavors but just as often he fails.
To bring it into classical popular film culture we can look at the Three Stooges. Moe is the white-face. Larry and Joe (or Curly or Shemp) are Auguste clowns. Bud Abbott is the white-face. Lou Costello is the Auguste. Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are tramp clowns.
Television and the celebrity culture has created a whole new variation of clowns without the consumer or the clowns realizing it. Consider such "reality" television programs as "Jersey Shore" or "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." The former features the "real" lives of a group of self-described "Guidos" with the most stereotypical New Jersey accents seeming to live lives of endless partying and coupling. The most famous of the group is a rather troll-like big-breasted young woman called Snookie who seems to live in a tanning booth when she isn't walking around looking like a desperate prostitute on Century Blvd when Hollywood Park isn't in season. The second program features three slut sisters, one at the moment married to a basketball player, living the lush life in Florida and experiencing "crisis" after "crisis". The women make stupid decisions, over-react to setbacks like to show off their zaftig figures.
Both programs are of the type that draw from their audiences reactions such as, "I wouldn't do THAT!", or "How could he do THAT!", or "How could somebody be so STUPID?" Well, the reason is because those people in those programs are doing the things that the viewer would do if given the opportunity. Or at least consider it. The only differences between Snookie or Kim and Lou Adler are that Snookie and Kim wear a different type of make-up and that the viewer, because neither Snookie nor Kim are in clown make-up, does not see themselves in Snookie or Kim in the way they saw themselves in Lou Adler. The audience also, because the programs are billed as "reality" shows, thinks that it is watching a person's real life, when, in fact, it is watching a performance that the performers do not realize is a performance. The clown is performing without the fourth wall of the stage, which makes the performance more personal for the viewer. The "reality" "Star" is in a play of his or her own making and there is a separation between the viewer and the performer that the viewer find comfortable because he/she is not directly addressed with his/her flaws.
The antics of Lindsey Lohan and Mel Gibson are other examples of the contemporary clown. We watch Lindsey on her descent towards turning tricks on Sunset Blvd and click our tongues and wonder how she could, given all the advantages of her life, be so damn stupid and delusional. But we refuse to see that she is, in a sense, a sin eater. We look at her as a young woman on her way down without realizing that she embodies by her behavior the worst qualities of all of us. And that is the point. We refuse to see because she, because of her fame and wealth, is so far away from most of us that we really don't care. She's a side show. A geek of sorts. But since she's not wearing a rubber nose we can always say something like, "Well, that's the way the rich live. They have too much money and they get to get away with the things I would if I had the money." Lindsey, despite her lack of rubber nose, is seen as a much different creature than the Auguste at the one tent circus that came through your town this summer. The viewer identifies less with Lindsey than he/she does with a circus clown.
Mel Gibson is the celebrity white-face clown. Self-involved, self-serious, a control freak. His rants against his Russian slut ex-girlfriend which have been aired for the past few weeks are comical. He started out the relationship reflecting the sin of lust and, once the heat of lust died out and the arrival of a bastard child and money became involved, he exhibited the sins of pride, anger and drunkeness. His performance reflects the perfect white-face attitude -- "I'm right. You're wrong. How dare you oppose me." The Russian slut ex-girlfriend played the Auguste clown perfectly. She has, so far, come out on top despite the fact that she has shown herself to be a slut and a crook. We laugh and act shocked at Gibson's rants, but we are refusing to face the fact that he is acting out the thoughts that all of us would have if we were in a similar situation. And know this, we are all a lot closer to finding ourselves in a variation of Gibson's problem than we'd like to admit.
This writer, being of a rather Victorian attitude, wishes that clowns were restricted to the circus, the Punch and Judy Show or the theater where the clowns are honest clowns and not celebrities or "reality" "stars". At least in the circus or theater the clown whacks one across the face with an inflated pig's bladder to make one realize that the real clown is YOU and ME. The circus clown is the homunculus that entertains us while throwing darts at us. The Celebrity and the "Reality Star" are like performing dogs that crap and copulate while they are supposed to be walking tight-ropes. They are jokes, but we refuse to realize the the joke is not only on us. The joke is us.
And if the reader should wonder what clowns we here at the Manor favour, the answer is Rosencrans and Guildenstern.
And, if the reader should maintain that politicians are clowns, your faithful correspondent can only reply that politicians are not clowns. Politicians are buffoons. They do not have the self awareness of clowns.
But the fact of the matter is that, while those clowns that one was presented were pretty much childish and silly, those clowns were clowns for kids. They weren't real clowns of the classic sense. Real clowning is serious business and real clowns used to reflect the stupidest, the meanest and most frightening elements of our being. Consider the great clowns of the past. Emmett Kelly portrayed a character named Weary Willie. He was a sad sack tramp clown trying, in his own way, to better himself and failing. Red Skelton created Freddie the Freeloader, a tramp clown always looking for an easy life without putting out the work to earn it. Lou Adler (for many years the image of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus) created a clown who was bossy and stupid.
And it is because of, in this writer's opinion, that the classic clown (not kid clowns, not evangelist clowns, not mimes {the exception being Jacques Tati in his M.Hulot series of films}) is so despised by so many adults today. How many times have you heard, or you yourself have said, "I hate clowns" or "I'm afraid of clowns"? Could it be that the open, nay, grotesquely enthusiastic satirization of the worst features of the human condition. Clowns are, in a sense, an ugly mirror. In other words, look into this mirror and see who ugly you are despite the way you paint yourself (the clown's make-up).
Classical clowning has taken a lot of abuse from modern society in the West because the West has lost its Christian identity. To be a Christian is to realize that one is, by nature, deeply flawed and that there is a way to salvation through Christ. In times past, when the West was nominally Christian it was the norm to occasionally examine oneself and find and contemplate one's flaws and indwelling sins. The clown, in a humorous way, brought attention to the flaws. The clown represented the irreducable element of rascality that infects us all and the clown showed that to the audience and showed the consequences for not dealing with those flaws.
But we have, since then, as a society, lost our sense of shame. And it is considered an insult to have one's sins or flaws pointed out either by example (the clown method) or by direct comment (trying telling a friend or co-worker that he is acting like an idiot and see what your dental bill will be the next day). Clowns are creepy and "scary" because they are us
Nowadays, we still have clowns, but they are reality show personalities or celebrities. But before going into that factor of the unrecognized and oddly accepted and compelling clown, let us look at the three classic types of clowns and their bare-faced off-spring.
The first is the white-faced clown. The white-face, as well as painting his face white, wears very little other make-up. He rarely wears a rubber nose, but often a pointed cap. The white-face is a serious clown. He is self serious. He is a clown who knows more than he really knows, smarter than he really is. He is bossy and over-bearing.
The second is the Auguste clown. While often bearing a base of white make-up, the Auguste clown is usually more polychromatic, often with a rubber nose, a fringe wig and a horn or noisemaker of some sort. The Auguste clown appears, at first glance, to be rather stupid and often is stupid. He's usually the underling in some way to the white-face and is often abused by the white-face. In his bumbling and stumbling and apparent idiocy he often comes out in a better position than the white-face while the white-face thinks that he, himself, has come out on top.
Thirdly is the tramp clown. The tramp clown is usually a loner. He is usually rather lazy. He is a bit of a con man in some ways, but he's also a sad sack. Sometimes he is victorious in his endeavors but just as often he fails.
To bring it into classical popular film culture we can look at the Three Stooges. Moe is the white-face. Larry and Joe (or Curly or Shemp) are Auguste clowns. Bud Abbott is the white-face. Lou Costello is the Auguste. Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are tramp clowns.
Television and the celebrity culture has created a whole new variation of clowns without the consumer or the clowns realizing it. Consider such "reality" television programs as "Jersey Shore" or "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." The former features the "real" lives of a group of self-described "Guidos" with the most stereotypical New Jersey accents seeming to live lives of endless partying and coupling. The most famous of the group is a rather troll-like big-breasted young woman called Snookie who seems to live in a tanning booth when she isn't walking around looking like a desperate prostitute on Century Blvd when Hollywood Park isn't in season. The second program features three slut sisters, one at the moment married to a basketball player, living the lush life in Florida and experiencing "crisis" after "crisis". The women make stupid decisions, over-react to setbacks like to show off their zaftig figures.
Both programs are of the type that draw from their audiences reactions such as, "I wouldn't do THAT!", or "How could he do THAT!", or "How could somebody be so STUPID?" Well, the reason is because those people in those programs are doing the things that the viewer would do if given the opportunity. Or at least consider it. The only differences between Snookie or Kim and Lou Adler are that Snookie and Kim wear a different type of make-up and that the viewer, because neither Snookie nor Kim are in clown make-up, does not see themselves in Snookie or Kim in the way they saw themselves in Lou Adler. The audience also, because the programs are billed as "reality" shows, thinks that it is watching a person's real life, when, in fact, it is watching a performance that the performers do not realize is a performance. The clown is performing without the fourth wall of the stage, which makes the performance more personal for the viewer. The "reality" "Star" is in a play of his or her own making and there is a separation between the viewer and the performer that the viewer find comfortable because he/she is not directly addressed with his/her flaws.
The antics of Lindsey Lohan and Mel Gibson are other examples of the contemporary clown. We watch Lindsey on her descent towards turning tricks on Sunset Blvd and click our tongues and wonder how she could, given all the advantages of her life, be so damn stupid and delusional. But we refuse to see that she is, in a sense, a sin eater. We look at her as a young woman on her way down without realizing that she embodies by her behavior the worst qualities of all of us. And that is the point. We refuse to see because she, because of her fame and wealth, is so far away from most of us that we really don't care. She's a side show. A geek of sorts. But since she's not wearing a rubber nose we can always say something like, "Well, that's the way the rich live. They have too much money and they get to get away with the things I would if I had the money." Lindsey, despite her lack of rubber nose, is seen as a much different creature than the Auguste at the one tent circus that came through your town this summer. The viewer identifies less with Lindsey than he/she does with a circus clown.
Mel Gibson is the celebrity white-face clown. Self-involved, self-serious, a control freak. His rants against his Russian slut ex-girlfriend which have been aired for the past few weeks are comical. He started out the relationship reflecting the sin of lust and, once the heat of lust died out and the arrival of a bastard child and money became involved, he exhibited the sins of pride, anger and drunkeness. His performance reflects the perfect white-face attitude -- "I'm right. You're wrong. How dare you oppose me." The Russian slut ex-girlfriend played the Auguste clown perfectly. She has, so far, come out on top despite the fact that she has shown herself to be a slut and a crook. We laugh and act shocked at Gibson's rants, but we are refusing to face the fact that he is acting out the thoughts that all of us would have if we were in a similar situation. And know this, we are all a lot closer to finding ourselves in a variation of Gibson's problem than we'd like to admit.
This writer, being of a rather Victorian attitude, wishes that clowns were restricted to the circus, the Punch and Judy Show or the theater where the clowns are honest clowns and not celebrities or "reality" "stars". At least in the circus or theater the clown whacks one across the face with an inflated pig's bladder to make one realize that the real clown is YOU and ME. The circus clown is the homunculus that entertains us while throwing darts at us. The Celebrity and the "Reality Star" are like performing dogs that crap and copulate while they are supposed to be walking tight-ropes. They are jokes, but we refuse to realize the the joke is not only on us. The joke is us.
And if the reader should wonder what clowns we here at the Manor favour, the answer is Rosencrans and Guildenstern.
And, if the reader should maintain that politicians are clowns, your faithful correspondent can only reply that politicians are not clowns. Politicians are buffoons. They do not have the self awareness of clowns.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The Sluttification of Music
It may be due to the age of your faithful correspondent, but this writer has felt for the past twenty years that many popular female singers have confused being a slut with being smokey,erotic or sexy.
When we here at the Manor were callow youths the average "girl" singer in rock music, such as Linda Ronstadt or Janet Joplin, were considered rather outre' by appearing on stage wearing hot pants while they either stood before, or held, a microphone. There were no gyrations, no dry-humping the mike stand, no tit flashing.
When the creature now known as Madonna appeared on the scene all that changed. That crazy chick, in such of popularity and the big buck, realized that she could make a lot of money and get a lot of popularity by portraying herself as the equivalent of the high school "easy girl". In other words, she gave the idea that she's lay down and lift her dress for you if you told her that you loved her -- or even liked her-- as long as you didn't call her a slut. And she'd do the same thing for any guy who made the same tacit agreement.
Since that time when Madonna was singing "Like A Virgin" she has given birth to a whole lot of musical children ranging from Britney Spears to Lady Gaga to Katy Perry to Miley Cyrus. One wonders when the whole chain of nonsense will stop. A tit flash? A beaver shot on stage? Perhaps a little fellatio on stage?
And the whole wonder is that from Madonna on the result has not been the expression of love, desire or longing. In fact, they have not even been sexy or erotic. They have been expressions of the most base animal instincts akin to watching a bull and cow mating in a pasture.
Why is it that the performances of Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Julie London, Jane Monheit and Diane Krall, among a few others, reflect a more sexy or erotic sense than to the current crop of slut singers? None of them dress(ed) like cheap whores, none of them dance(ed) like drunken pole dancers, and all of them sang (or sing) doing nothing more than standing or sitting in front of microphones.
Here's a Tom Waits' song sung by Diane Krall that has nothing to do with love or sex. And yet it expresses a sense of longing that Madonna and her musical offspring have shown themselves unable to express:
YouTube - Diana Krall - The heart of saturday night (Tom Waits)
When we here at the Manor were callow youths the average "girl" singer in rock music, such as Linda Ronstadt or Janet Joplin, were considered rather outre' by appearing on stage wearing hot pants while they either stood before, or held, a microphone. There were no gyrations, no dry-humping the mike stand, no tit flashing.
When the creature now known as Madonna appeared on the scene all that changed. That crazy chick, in such of popularity and the big buck, realized that she could make a lot of money and get a lot of popularity by portraying herself as the equivalent of the high school "easy girl". In other words, she gave the idea that she's lay down and lift her dress for you if you told her that you loved her -- or even liked her-- as long as you didn't call her a slut. And she'd do the same thing for any guy who made the same tacit agreement.
Since that time when Madonna was singing "Like A Virgin" she has given birth to a whole lot of musical children ranging from Britney Spears to Lady Gaga to Katy Perry to Miley Cyrus. One wonders when the whole chain of nonsense will stop. A tit flash? A beaver shot on stage? Perhaps a little fellatio on stage?
And the whole wonder is that from Madonna on the result has not been the expression of love, desire or longing. In fact, they have not even been sexy or erotic. They have been expressions of the most base animal instincts akin to watching a bull and cow mating in a pasture.
Why is it that the performances of Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Julie London, Jane Monheit and Diane Krall, among a few others, reflect a more sexy or erotic sense than to the current crop of slut singers? None of them dress(ed) like cheap whores, none of them dance(ed) like drunken pole dancers, and all of them sang (or sing) doing nothing more than standing or sitting in front of microphones.
Here's a Tom Waits' song sung by Diane Krall that has nothing to do with love or sex. And yet it expresses a sense of longing that Madonna and her musical offspring have shown themselves unable to express:
YouTube - Diana Krall - The heart of saturday night (Tom Waits)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
A Bit o' Dis an' a Bit o' Dat, Bruddas an' Wahines
The always thoughtful and interesting thinker, Sir Mike of Whittier, sent this writer a file that showed the actual stoning of a young woman in some Islamic country. The young woman, and she was a young woman -- not more than eighteen -- was condemned to stoning by the local sharia court for the crime of refusing to marry a man some 21/2 to 3 times older than she.
Needless to say, your faithful correspondent was repulsed by the video. He was repulsed for two reasons. The first reason is because the stoning took place at all. The second was because he was curious enough to actually watch it from beginning to end. It was not a nice thing to watch. It was cruel, disgusting and inhuman; especially since those taking part in the stoning were so enthusiastic in the hurling of rocks and cinderblocks. It was the type of execution that makes the gas chamber, the electric chair, hanging or the firing squad look merciful in comparison. It was an example of mass hysteria directed toward a a girl with the participants recording the incident on their cell phones.
And that goes to show the sickness of the whole incident. Men who were able to access the world through their computers and cells phones were participating in an action that is pre-medieval . In fact pre- Christian. And those Jews who claim to know something about their history claim that the Mosaic injunction to stone adulterers has never been observed among the Tribe. Giving Orcs such tools as cell phones and computers is akin to giving an infant a Zippo lighter. No only is there the possibility that said infant will burn himself; the brat may burn down your house.
For those who wish to see a sanitized version of the stoning, there is this. Note that Wolfe Blitzer is not outraged at the crime. But he is a professional and an apologist for little brown babies who he feels are too damn stupid to be brought into some semblance of civilized behaviour. And remember that the Kurds are supposed to be the "good guys" in Iraq and Iran:
YouTube - unbelievable gore vioelence kurdish Girl Stoned to Death
For those readers of this blog who read fiction, this writer would suggest that the reader buy Andrew Klavan's Empire of Lies. The books has just come out in mass-market paperback and is also available for the Amazon Kindle.
The novel is NOT politically correct. It is also NOT the usual political/terrorist thriller. Mr. Klavan has taken a Christian man with a past of which he is ashamed and put him into a situation in which he is tempted, performs acts for which he is ashamed, and a man who is willing to examine himself. It is a novel that combines the thriller genre with the type of introspection that one usually finds in the "art" silk stocking writer like John Cheever or John Updike. And Klavan has a wicked sense of humor, as is evinced by this clip:
YouTube - The World According to Andrew Klavan
Mel Gibson has shown himself, over the past couple of years to be a bit of a lout. Several years ago he got heat for telling am Los Angeles Sheriff's deputy (who was a Jew) that he could smell a Jew (which, apparently he could because he seems to have found the only Jewish deputy sheriff on the force since Sherman Block retired) and calling a female deputy "Sugar-tits."
Gibson was drunk at the time, which is no excuse for bad behaviour. After all, William Faulkner was a big binge drinker and never bothered anyone while he was drinking off his latest novel.
Now Mr. Gibson is getting grief for some things that his paramour, mother of his youngest child and aide in the wrecking of his marriage, recorded him saying. Admittedly, Mr. Gibson spoke like a lout and asshat. He called the woman a whore, a slut, a tart. He used the words "nigger" and "wetback", he threatened to burn down her dwelling. The woman claims that he brought physical violence upon her by punching her in the mug and knocking out a tooth veneer.
This writer has no sympathy for Mr. Gibson in his rant. No man should speak to any woman in the way that he did. But Mr. Gibson was standing forth in a private conversation. This writer knows of cases in which the wife says such things as, "I wish you were dead. I hope you die" to her husband. Lovers and married people often say very cruel things to one another; things that would make them join the French Foreign Legion to get away from those remarks if they were publicized at their workplace, church or country club.
But this writer has to ask the question of why, exactly, was the woman recording the conversations or rant? And why did the woman not call the cops once she was punched in the face by Mr. Gibson? Could it be that she is out for a bit of the long green? After all, she's a Russian and Russians who have come to the US since the "end" of the Cold War have shown themselves to be schemers, wide boys and crooks.
This reader is not giving Mr. Gibson a pass on his bad bevhaviour. He has, in the past claimed to be a devout Catholic, and this writer expects him to behave like a believing and devout Catholic. His language has been inappropriate, but nothing more. He's shown himself to be an asshat, but he does have the right to say to his cumbucket what he wants as long as he doesn't punch her lights out.
And having seen his "girlfriend" this writer wonders why Mr. Gibson would have severed his marriage vows for the plastic, siliconed "hottie." Apparently, a youth spent in Australia has ruined this idiot. He should have spent more time time downing Foster's lager and less time thinking about the state of his penis.
Needless to say, your faithful correspondent was repulsed by the video. He was repulsed for two reasons. The first reason is because the stoning took place at all. The second was because he was curious enough to actually watch it from beginning to end. It was not a nice thing to watch. It was cruel, disgusting and inhuman; especially since those taking part in the stoning were so enthusiastic in the hurling of rocks and cinderblocks. It was the type of execution that makes the gas chamber, the electric chair, hanging or the firing squad look merciful in comparison. It was an example of mass hysteria directed toward a a girl with the participants recording the incident on their cell phones.
And that goes to show the sickness of the whole incident. Men who were able to access the world through their computers and cells phones were participating in an action that is pre-medieval . In fact pre- Christian. And those Jews who claim to know something about their history claim that the Mosaic injunction to stone adulterers has never been observed among the Tribe. Giving Orcs such tools as cell phones and computers is akin to giving an infant a Zippo lighter. No only is there the possibility that said infant will burn himself; the brat may burn down your house.
For those who wish to see a sanitized version of the stoning, there is this. Note that Wolfe Blitzer is not outraged at the crime. But he is a professional and an apologist for little brown babies who he feels are too damn stupid to be brought into some semblance of civilized behaviour. And remember that the Kurds are supposed to be the "good guys" in Iraq and Iran:
YouTube - unbelievable gore vioelence kurdish Girl Stoned to Death
For those readers of this blog who read fiction, this writer would suggest that the reader buy Andrew Klavan's Empire of Lies. The books has just come out in mass-market paperback and is also available for the Amazon Kindle.
The novel is NOT politically correct. It is also NOT the usual political/terrorist thriller. Mr. Klavan has taken a Christian man with a past of which he is ashamed and put him into a situation in which he is tempted, performs acts for which he is ashamed, and a man who is willing to examine himself. It is a novel that combines the thriller genre with the type of introspection that one usually finds in the "art" silk stocking writer like John Cheever or John Updike. And Klavan has a wicked sense of humor, as is evinced by this clip:
YouTube - The World According to Andrew Klavan
Mel Gibson has shown himself, over the past couple of years to be a bit of a lout. Several years ago he got heat for telling am Los Angeles Sheriff's deputy (who was a Jew) that he could smell a Jew (which, apparently he could because he seems to have found the only Jewish deputy sheriff on the force since Sherman Block retired) and calling a female deputy "Sugar-tits."
Gibson was drunk at the time, which is no excuse for bad behaviour. After all, William Faulkner was a big binge drinker and never bothered anyone while he was drinking off his latest novel.
Now Mr. Gibson is getting grief for some things that his paramour, mother of his youngest child and aide in the wrecking of his marriage, recorded him saying. Admittedly, Mr. Gibson spoke like a lout and asshat. He called the woman a whore, a slut, a tart. He used the words "nigger" and "wetback", he threatened to burn down her dwelling. The woman claims that he brought physical violence upon her by punching her in the mug and knocking out a tooth veneer.
This writer has no sympathy for Mr. Gibson in his rant. No man should speak to any woman in the way that he did. But Mr. Gibson was standing forth in a private conversation. This writer knows of cases in which the wife says such things as, "I wish you were dead. I hope you die" to her husband. Lovers and married people often say very cruel things to one another; things that would make them join the French Foreign Legion to get away from those remarks if they were publicized at their workplace, church or country club.
But this writer has to ask the question of why, exactly, was the woman recording the conversations or rant? And why did the woman not call the cops once she was punched in the face by Mr. Gibson? Could it be that she is out for a bit of the long green? After all, she's a Russian and Russians who have come to the US since the "end" of the Cold War have shown themselves to be schemers, wide boys and crooks.
This reader is not giving Mr. Gibson a pass on his bad bevhaviour. He has, in the past claimed to be a devout Catholic, and this writer expects him to behave like a believing and devout Catholic. His language has been inappropriate, but nothing more. He's shown himself to be an asshat, but he does have the right to say to his cumbucket what he wants as long as he doesn't punch her lights out.
And having seen his "girlfriend" this writer wonders why Mr. Gibson would have severed his marriage vows for the plastic, siliconed "hottie." Apparently, a youth spent in Australia has ruined this idiot. He should have spent more time time downing Foster's lager and less time thinking about the state of his penis.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Legally Forced Charity
Do you, the reader, contribute to charities of one sort or another? By contribute, this writer means voluntarily contribute.
We here at the Manor regularly contribute to the Salvation Army, as well as other religious charities that provide assistance to the poor and/or down-trodden throughout the United States and the world. Our Lord tells us to provide assistance to the widow and the orphan.
But those in power in the United States government have long decided that no how much you give, of your own free will, to the needy you should give more. This writer is not referring to unemployment benefits which the newly unemployed have contributed to while they were employed. This writer is referring to welfare, both state and local as well as national, food stamps, free health care and free higher education.
We have been forced to give to charities (government operated charities, which is the most inefficient form) that support in high style, not only illegal aliens, but people who are the third and fourth generation of welfare recipients.
The government is considering the idea that high speed Internet connection is a "right" and will probably soon subsidize said Internet connections to the "poor". Through the use of EBT cards in California the working man and woman is forced to subsidize the gambling habits and drinking habits of the "poor."
Some years ago an man in Africa was asked why he wanted to immigrate to the US. His reply was, "I want to live in a country where the poor people are fat."
We are a long way from the East Side of London in the 1880s or Hell's Kitchen in the 1890s. No body is starving in the streets. In fact, the average resident of Section 8 housing in the US is living in a better, and better wired structure than we are here at the Manor. We have been conservative with our finances, we have worked, we have been responsible. And we have, as well as we have been able, been charitable. And the state and national governments have punished us by denying us our hard earned cash so that a person who has never worked in his or her life is able to buy a 42 inch flat screen television and a 12 pack of Old Milwaukee daily.
It's enough to gag a maggot.
We here at the Manor regularly contribute to the Salvation Army, as well as other religious charities that provide assistance to the poor and/or down-trodden throughout the United States and the world. Our Lord tells us to provide assistance to the widow and the orphan.
But those in power in the United States government have long decided that no how much you give, of your own free will, to the needy you should give more. This writer is not referring to unemployment benefits which the newly unemployed have contributed to while they were employed. This writer is referring to welfare, both state and local as well as national, food stamps, free health care and free higher education.
We have been forced to give to charities (government operated charities, which is the most inefficient form) that support in high style, not only illegal aliens, but people who are the third and fourth generation of welfare recipients.
The government is considering the idea that high speed Internet connection is a "right" and will probably soon subsidize said Internet connections to the "poor". Through the use of EBT cards in California the working man and woman is forced to subsidize the gambling habits and drinking habits of the "poor."
Some years ago an man in Africa was asked why he wanted to immigrate to the US. His reply was, "I want to live in a country where the poor people are fat."
We are a long way from the East Side of London in the 1880s or Hell's Kitchen in the 1890s. No body is starving in the streets. In fact, the average resident of Section 8 housing in the US is living in a better, and better wired structure than we are here at the Manor. We have been conservative with our finances, we have worked, we have been responsible. And we have, as well as we have been able, been charitable. And the state and national governments have punished us by denying us our hard earned cash so that a person who has never worked in his or her life is able to buy a 42 inch flat screen television and a 12 pack of Old Milwaukee daily.
It's enough to gag a maggot.
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